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
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For Immediate Release
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ATIS Launches New Technical Forum to Address Wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) Services
Members include Wireless Carriers, LECs, Public Safety Organizations, Handset Manufacturers
April 11, 2002, Washington, D.C. - The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) today announced the establishment of the Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ESIF) to address the various technical and operational issues affecting the implementation of wireless enhanced 911 (E911 services).
"ATIS established the ESIF as a venue for the telecommunications industry, public safety and other stakeholders to develop and refine technical and operational interconnection issues that will ensure this life-saving service will be available for everyone," said Ed Hall, Vice President of Technology Development for ATIS.
In order to deploy wireless E911 services successfully and ubiquitously, many different telecommunication entities must fully cooperate and interconnect with each other. ATIS launched the ESIF in order to determine the best practices and solutions necessary to deploy E911 services. Members of the ESIF will include wireless carriers; location technology providers; public safety organizations; handset manufactures and vendors of wireless network equipment; and local exchange carriers (LECs), and will require the support of state and local governments and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The FCC's wireless 911 rules seek to improve wireless emergency services by ensuring call back numbers and location of the callers are forwarded to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Phase II of the FCC's wireless rules, originally adopted in 1996, is scheduled for implementation between October 1, 2001 and December 31, 2005. Wireless carriers are required to provide the capability to accurately locate 911 callers and deliver this location information automatically to local PSAPs.
"There is too much disparity on this issue. We need leadership and a mechanism to get the stakeholders together and work out the technical and operational interconnect issues. The ESIF promises to be that mechanism," said John Melcher, First Vice President of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
"We are prepared to support the ESIF by helping resolve interconnection issues leading to the speedy implementation of wireless E911," said Jim Lankford, Director-National Security Emergency Preparedness for SBC Communications.
The inaugural meeting of the ESIF will be held May 7-8 at ATIS headquarters located at 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. For more information visit the ATIS web site at www.atis.org, or contact Bill Breslin at wbreslin@atis.org or 202/662-8667.
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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