Positioning Wi-Fi

TeleCommunication Systems, a location and wireless data technology provider, and Skyhook Wireless, Wi-Fi-based metro-area positioning system provider, announced last month that the companies will collaborate to incorporate Skyhook's Wi-Fi positioning system with TCS' E911 routing capabilities for VoIP E911 service to comply with a recent ruling from the FCC.

Traditionally when a person signs up for a voice service, the location connected with that service becomes the corresponding address for responding emergency services. With VoIP, however, a person may use virtually any Internet connection to place a phone call and phone numbers aren't assigned by location, so there is no longer a single designated address for the service. The same has been true of mobile service in the past. Until recently, there has been no reliable way for mobile or nomadic VoIP providers to offer this particular public safety information.

With the FCC mandate enforcing VoIP service providers, like wireless carriers, to provide E911 services to all customers as a standard, mandatory feature, the coupling of TCS and Skyhook Wireless is one of the latest sources for technologies that could be instrumental in solving this problem.

“When you get into this Wi-Fi environment, you don't necessarily know which Wi-Fi spot you are using; you just happen to know your light is working and that you can make a call,” said Tim Lorello, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at TCS. But the nature of Wi-Fi doesn't lend itself well to the location registration needed for processing E911 calls to the correct public service answering points (PSAPs). “This is why it is very important that we have these connection capabilities in Skyhook servers so we can get that information to the PSAPs.”

Currently, TCS provides E911 call routing and delivery service to more than 35 wireless carriers and VoIP service providers in the U.S. With the addition of Skyhook's technology, the location information will be automatically extracted from the network, allowing TCS to complete the location aspect of E911 calls.

“We've been working on these systems for about a year and a half and it became pretty obvious to us with the growth of VoIP over the last couple of years that people are going to start adopting this new VoIP service,” said Ted Morgan, CEO and founder of Skyhook Wireless. “Given what has been happening with emergency response and homeland security, having the location of these users and devices is pretty much becoming baseline instead of functionality for a telco. So we started reaching out to all of the VoIP providers themselves, and started building relationships with the folks that handle all the 911 infrastructure, like TCS.”

With new technology, previous allegations against VoIP will be matched, according to Morgan, who said that VoIP service providers have already been trying to answer this issue because they did not want anyone thinking they were a second rate phone company.

“The federal mandate is just pushing them along a little faster, but they all had plans to do this anyway,” he said. “The biggest challenge with VoIP is that it's a new area — we are going to have to work together with the FCC in getting them to realize that this is an accepted approach to the system. We believe technically this satisfies their requirements and actually exceeds them.”

Morgan and Lorello both said they believe that providing a location solution for Wi-Fi VoIP networks and hot spots ultimately improves the viability of both Wi-Fi and VoIP.

“This solution opens the door back up again to actually offer a true Wi-Fi voice solution — it puts the light in green again,” said TCS' Lorello.

The software can be downloaded by customers of VoIP service providers with Skyhook handsets and TCS service. It will be available within the next couple of months.

E911 PROGRESS

1996

FCC rules that mobile phones need be compliant with E911 location requirements.

1999

FCC makes first of several revisions to its ruling to allow mobile carriers more time to comply.

2004

Reports surface that 911 calls from VoIP phones sometimes get less priority from emergency dispatchers because caller identity and location must be determined through questioning rather than automatic tracking.

May 2005

FCC rules that VoIP companies must support access to E911. Mandates give companies 120 days from date ruling enters Federal Register in June.

July 2005

Some mobile carriers reportedly want deadline of Dec. 31, 2005, for 95% compliance with E911 to be pushed back.