For Immediate Release
1200 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20005 202/628-6380 202/393-5453 (fax)	Contact: John Bernhards Director of Public Relations Phone: 202/434-8850 E-mail: jbernhards@atis.org

National Communications System (NCS) Senior Systems Engineer to Chair Standards Committee T1 Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications Services

March 25, 2002, Washington, D.C. - Standards Committee T1 - sponsored by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) - announced today that Hal Folts, Senior Systems Engineer for the National Communications System (NCS) will chair T1M1.5, "Emergency Telecommunications Services (ETS)." For over thirty years, Folts has worked in standards and telecommunications systems development with the NCS, NASA, and the industry. Folts has been involved in the development of many prominent standards for data communications, public data networks, telecom management, and open systems interconnection.

Under Folts' leadership, T1M1.5 will coordinate all standards being developed within Committee T1's Technical Subcommittee T1M1 addressing national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications. Among its activities, T1M1.5 will also develop a new service management interface standard that will enable the service customer (emergency recovery operations) and service providers direct interaction online in real time. The interface will then be adapted and expanded to support operations of the newly established Information Sharing and Analysis Center for the telecom service providers (Telecom-ISAC).

Mike Fargano, Chair of Technical Subcommittee T1M1, noted, "Emergency Telecommunications Services have always been a priority in the telecommunications industry. We formed T1M1.5 ETS to develop this new interface that will allow for more efficient and effective communications to support recovery operations in a post-September 11 environment."

T1M1's standards work in ETS will provide OAM&P support for NS/EP communications that enable the U.S. Government and emergency response teams to make an immediate and coordinated response to all emergencies, to include natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and cyber-attacks. NS/EP communications allow the president of the United States and other administration officials to be continually accessible, even under emergency conditions.

About Standards Committee T1

Standards Committee T1 develops American National Standards, technical reports and technical requirements for telecommunications services, network interconnection, interoperability, and performance. Committee T1 provides technical input to the United States Department of State supporting U.S. participation in international standards bodies. More than 1,200 telecommunications engineers and technologists bring their expertise to Committee T1's six technical subcommittees. Committee T1 is a founding member of the Global Standards Collaboration (GSC) group of regional standards development organizations and works closely with the FCC on network reliability issues. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredits committee T1. More information is available by visiting the Committee T1 Web site at www.t1.org. Committee T1 documents are available at the ATIS Document Center, located at www.atis.org.

About ATIS

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) is a member company organization that is the leader for standards and operating procedures for the telecommunications industry. More than 1,500 experts from over 400 telecommunications companies participate in ATIS' 19 committees, forums, and Incubator Solutions programs, where work focus includes network interconnection standards, number portability, improved data transmission, wireless communications, Internet telephony, toll-free access, and order and billing issues. ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit the ATIS web site at www.atis.org.

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