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

ESIF Conducts Inaugural Meeting, Announces Key E 9-1-1 Interconnection Issues and Election Results

May 14, 2002, Washington, D.C. - The Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ESIF) convened its first meeting on May 7-8 and reached an agreement among E 9-1-1 experts to address the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Report & Order regarding non-initiated phones. The ESIF was jointly convened by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) to facilitate the identification and resolution of technical issues related to the interconnection of the telephony and emergency services networks.

The ESIF reviewed the FCC's Report & Order - requiring, as of October 1, 2002, that any mobile unit manufactured as a non-service initialized, or 911-only, phone to install 123-456-7890 into each handset as its telephone number/mobile identification number - and reached an agreement to request a deferral of the effective date.

"The decision to request a deferral of the effective date from the FCC Report & Order was reached because it would allow the industry to provide guidance and technical criteria supporting the utilization of a recently published standard on emergency services which recommends a different coding process for non-service-initialized phones," said Jim Nixon, Director, Government Affairs for VoiceStream, and the newly elected ESIF Chairman.

In addition, the ESIF introduced, discussed and validated 13 critical interconnection issues, which include establishing a methodology for monitoring of overflow conditions on Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), and the establishment of a Homeland Security liaison officer between wireline and wireless carriers and essential services agencies.

During the meeting, elections for leadership positions were conducted and Jim Nixon, Director, Government Affairs for VoiceStream was elected Chairman; Astin Buchanan, Information Systems Manager for Tarrant County (Texas) 9-1-1 District, and Jim Lankford, Director-National Security Emergency Preparedness for SBC Communications were elected Vice Chairpersons.

The Forum attendees included representatives from the FCC, NENA, the public safety sector, the wireless industry, local exchange carriers (LECs), and Operational Support Systems (OSS) services including Intrado and True Position.

The next ESIF meeting is scheduled for July 15-16, 2002, at the ATIS Headquarters located at 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 500. For more information, visit the ATIS Web site at www.atis.org or contact Bill Breslin at 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' 20 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.

About NENA

A not-for-profit corporation, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is the only educational organization dedicated solely to the study, advancement and implementation of 9-1-1 as America's universal emergency number. With the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders and public safety entities, NENA has an individual membership of more than 7,500 public safety executives, and is organized into 48 chapters. The organization strives to provide an effective and accessible 9-1-1 service for North America, measuring its success in the lives saved by 9-1-1 each day. NENA also develops recommended operating standards and protocols for 9-1-1 services from its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more at www.nena.org.

-30-