Deadline pressure drives CALEA compliance

With one CALEA deadline having come and gone last week and another looming in three months, procrastinating service providers are scrambling to comply.

Last week, all eligible broadband and voice-over-IP providers were to respond to the FCC's monitoring report with their final plans for complying with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act requirements. Because of security reasons cited in the original order, the FCC will not release details on those status reports, a spokesman said, “We're still going through what's been filed, and that will take some time to work through. There were hundreds of reports filed.”

Many of those reports were likely from independent operating companies, which may have been hoping for another extension. “But there are no more extensions,” said Jeff Cato, vice president of sales and marketing for Intelleq, a company that, in December, launched a hosted CALEA solution for IOCs, aptly named Capture CALEA Solutions.

“After the second order came down in May of 2006, people got serious, and in the last two months everyone started a mad scramble to comply,” Cato said. He added that Intelleq isn't the only company to launch a CALEA offering targeting the independent market. Martin Group, one of the largest providers of operations support systems to this market, also launched a service the last quarter.

“We've already got about 15 customers signed up,” said Jim Odom, president and CEO of Martin Group.

Both companies' solutions are service bureau, or hosted, models that small service providers can use cost-effectively. “They're probably not going to get as many requests [for surveillance], and building their own solution would be extremely expensive,” Odom said.

Intelleq's Capture solution was originally built for Dobson and McLeod, to which Intelleq already supplies voice and data services. The company partners with SS8 Networks to deliver the solutions, which include both a passive approach — putting a tap in an IOC's network aggregation point — and an active approach, which sets up connections to already-compliant routers. Intelleq then programs and delivers probes to the IOC to collect data.

Cato said that although the setup is relatively quick, “If you don't get in the pipeline soon, you won't be able to meet CALEA compliance by May.”

Although companies such as NeuStar and VeriSign have offered CALEA solutions for quite some time, Cato said there are less than a handful of companies that could address this particular niche. “However, if you look at the number of providers and the size of the marketplace, there's enough for everyone. It's a land grab right now.”

The deadline for compliance is May 14. Look for Telephony's Technology Update e-newsletter on Feb. 26 for an in-depth look at CALEA.

THE PATH TO CALEA COMPLIANCE

OCTOBER 1994: Congress takes action to protect public safety and ensure national security by enacting the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.

JAN. 28, 2004: The FBI gives notice to the FCC that law enforcement would file a petition seeking comprehensive rules to CALEA, addressing issues such as whether broadband services and service providers should be subject to CALEA.

MARCH 10, 2004: The DOJ, FBI and DEA file Joint Petition for Expedited Rulemaking to preserve the ability to conduct lawful electronic surveillance despite changing telecommunications technologies.

AUG. 5, 2005: First Report and Order concludes that CALEA applies to facilities-based broadband Internet providers and interconnected VoIP providers.

MAY 3, 2006: Second Report and Order ensures law enforcement agencies will have all of the resources that CALEA authorizes regarding the above providers.

FEB. 12: Final reports due, notifying FCC how service providers will comply by May 14.

MAY 14: Deadline for CALEA compliance for broadband ISPs and interconnected VoIP providers.