For Immediate Release
1200 G Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
202/628-6380
202/393-5453 (fax)
Contact: Rachel Krajc
Phone: 202/434-8858
E-mail: rkrajc@atis.org
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For Immediate Release
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FCC Grants ATIS' Request for Stay For Non-Initialized and 911-Only Wireless Phones
October 2, 2002, Washington, D.C. - The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions - the leader in communications standards development - today announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a Request for Stay filed by ATIS on behalf of its Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ESIF). ATIS filed the request regarding the FCC's Report and Order (94-102), which designated October 1, 2002, as the effective date for the implementation of the consecutive number code 123-456-7890 as the call-back number for non-initialized and 911-only wireless phones. The consecutive number approach would not provide Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) with a unique call-back number when 911 calls are dialed from non-initialized and 911-only phones.
"The FCC's decision represents an important victory for the ESIF, the wireless industry and the public safety community," said Susan M. Miller, president and CEO of ATIS. "The ESIF is committed to further exploring alternative solutions to the FCC's proposed consecutive number approach, and is on track to submit the final report of its findings to the FCC by March 2003."
The stay of effective date was granted pending Commission consideration of the Petition for Reconsideration, also filed by ATIS. In its petition, ATIS requested that the FCC revisit issues surrounding non-initialized and 911-only wireless phones, and recommended a potential solution found in Annex C J-STD-036, "Enhanced Wireless 9-1-1 Phase 2," a joint industry standard published by TIA TR 45 and ATIS' Standards Committee T1.
J-STD-036 proposes the use of 911 followed by part of a wireless handset's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) or International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) to create a surrogate telephone number associated with a non-initialized or 911-only wireless phone. The use of J-STD-036 could enable PSAPs operators to identify non-initialized and 911-only wireless handsets used to place emergency calls.
The petition also identified the potential impact of the consecutive number solution on existing numbering systems used to support wireless global roaming. ESIF noted that the use of the consecutive number solution would remove as many as one million numbers from the International Roaming MIN (IRM) assignment pool - a wireless numbering resource that uses ten-digit numbers, where the first number must be either a zero or a one.
IRMs are used pervasively among wireless service providers around the world to support seamless global roaming services. The IRM resource is maintained by the International Forum for ANSI-41 Standards Technology (IFAST), an ATIS-sponsored committee.
The ESIF was jointly convened by ATIS and the National Emergency Number Association
(NENA) to facilitate the identification and resolution of technical issues related
to the interconnection of telephony and emergency services networks.
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
communications industry. More than 400 telecommunications companies participate
in ATIS' 18 committees, forums, and Incubator Solutions programs, where work
focus includes wireline and wireless network interconnection standards, number
portability, improved data transmission, Internet telephony, toll-free access,
telecom fraud, and order and billing issues, among others. ATIS is accredited
by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit the ATIS web site
at www.atis.org.
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