AT&T to cancel some VoIP users

Beginning next month, AT&T plans to cancel its CallVantage voice-over-IP service in areas, representing about 2% of its customer base, where it hasn't reached agreements to interconnect with local 911 public-safety answering points, or PSAPs.

The FCC ruled in late 2005 that VoIP providers could not offer service in those areas where they could not provide E911 service, which transmits the caller's physical location. But political and technical issues have prevented VoIP providers from complying on a nationwide basis — and different VoIP providers have dealt with those issues differently. AT&T has been more conservative in its approach, and the latest move appears to signal even greater conservatism.

“AT&T's approach has everything to do with the safety of our customers,” an AT&T spokesman said. “There are certain areas where we can deliver traditional E911 for our VoIP customers but are not able to provide the service because we have not been able to secure permission from the local public-safety authorities to offer E911 in those areas.”

The spokesman declined to say why AT&T was unable to reach agreements with local authorities. But two other VoIP providers, caught in the same position, commented on their experiences.

“PSAPs may not want to work with VoIP providers because of liability concerns,” said a Vonage spokeswoman. “When you call from a landline, if something goes wrong on the network or PSAP side, you can't sue the county, the telco or the PSAP. We have no protection of that nature. It's a huge issue for the PSAPs and us and the industry at large. We're delivering E911 the same way a landline or cellular carrier would, and those entities have liability coverage.”

Voicing support for the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2007 introduced in the Senate, the spokeswoman said, “It's something only regulators and lawmakers can fix.”

J.P. Gonzalez, director of product delivery for E911 services for Level 3 Communications, which offers a wholesale 911 solution to VoIP providers, believes that nomadic VoIP is the main issue.

Nomadic VoIP enables users to take their VoIP gear with them as they travel, so their physical address changes and may not be accurately delivered with an E911 call. Level 3's solution lets VoIP users update their address information via their retail provider's Web site and uses the same infrastructure that underlies cellular E911 service.

Persuading local authorities to allow interconnection with the PSAP is usually a matter of education, Gonzalez said. “In some cases, it's political,” he added. “Maybe the state took over and wants to go through deployment in an orderly fashion, so you can't interconnect for nomadic E911 until you're put on a list.”

Where local authorities won't interconnect, some VoIP providers stop signing up new customers. Verizon stopped selling its VoiceWing VoIP service in such areas after the 2005 ruling.

Unlike the former LECs, however, Vonage has not hesitated to continue to market services in areas, representing about 4% of its customer base, where it has not reached agreements to connect to the local PSAP. For those customers, Vonage provides a live operator who tries multiple administrative numbers for the PSAP, as needed, until the PSAP answers and the call is bridged. The Vonage spokeswoman said she is not aware of any emergency situation where the live operator was unable to reach someone at the PSAP.

As to whether that solution does comply with the FCC mandate, the spokeswoman said, “We've been working with the FCC hand in glove for well over three years on this issue and have made them aware every step of the way of the challenges we face.“

BY THE NUMBERS

6132

Number of PSAPs nationwide with which service providers must make agreements to support 911

475

Approximate number of selective routers to which service providers must connect to support 911

99% of population

97% of counties

Percentage of U.S. covered by landline E911

84% of population

61% of counties

Percentage of U.S. covered by wireless E911

Source: National Emergency Number Association