Got next?

Oct 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson

TURF WARS

Resolving the technical aspects of next-generation 911 systems may be complex, but most industry experts believe it will be relatively easy compared with unraveling the non-technical interests of service providers, vendors and politicians.

This month, the state of Indiana is scheduled to connect the last of its PSAPs to its new fiber network, which will make all PSAPs throughout the state Phase II wireless-enabled, said Tim Berry, state treasurer and chairman of the Indiana Wireless Advisory Board that supervised the creation of the network, known as IN911. By the second quarter of next year, all wireless carriers will be connected to the four selective routers in two locations (redundant routers at each location) that will allow full IP functionality, he said.

“That's when we will be able to look at all of the uses — utilizing a camera phone, utilizing OnStar information through the network, utilizing text messaging to a PSAP,” Berry said. “We are looking at how to integrate all of those alternatives into the network because the network will have that capability at that point in time.

“That doesn't mean all those transactions will take place immediately, but the network will have the technical abilities … for those applications.”

But these next-generation capabilities currently cannot be shared with wireline 911 callers because IN911 — operated by Indiana-based INdigital telecom — can only be used for wireless 911 calls, Berry said. “We only have jurisdiction over wireless in the state of Indiana. Landline 911 is controlled at the local level and is implemented that way, and the state board does not have purview over that,” he said. “From a technical standpoint, it probably would work, but from a jurisdictional standpoint, the board does not have authority.”

Similar jurisdictional questions are being asked throughout the country. While traditional landline 911 policy typically has been developed at a local level, wireless regulation often is handled at a state level. Meanwhile, the FCC and Congress have expressed the opinion that IP-based services such as VoIP fall under federal jurisdiction.

Even if the various government entities can resolve these turf issues, a significant mindset change will be needed to alter the relationships between PSAPs and incumbent LECs in a manner that will bring competition to the 911 market, said TCS' Dickinson.

Throughout the decades of 911 service, most PSAPs have been dependent largely on the LECs for selective routing, connectivity to the network and for populating databases with customer information such as phone numbers and addresses. Today, these functions can be done independently, but some PSAPs are tied into long-term, bundled contracts — or state laws — that prevent them from shopping for better deals on a piecemeal basis, Dickinson said.

“That's the way the tariffs are written, and the way the LECs protect their monopoly,” Dickinson said, noting that a couple of TCS attempts to provide selective-routing services to PSAPs have been undermined in this manner.

Consultant Moore echoed this sentiment, noting that LECs are not going to relinquish a profitable “cash cow” like 911 service contracts easily.

“Every time we talk about doing something like [using third-party 911 vendors], the telcos will pull something else out,” he said. “They'll say, ‘If you don't do selective routing, then we can't do wireless for you because that's inherently part of the process. And by the way, if you don't do selective routing, we won't sell you and give you any customer information, so how are you going to populate your database?’”

In discussions with LEC representatives, Moore said he has been told that PSAPs abandoning the existing system will force the phone companies to raise the rates charged to other users.

“They tell me, ‘The reality is, if we start having 911 systems drop out of the plan, we will more than likely raise the cost to the rest of them. Do you want to be responsible for that?’” Moore said. “That's the nuclear [bomb] that they're holding.

“They're going to call every one of the little dinky county PSAPs and go, ‘Because this city wants to do their own thing and save themselves money, it's going to cost you money in the long run.’ It's going to be a real ugly, nasty screaming match.”

Meer said Intrado's stance has been that customer records belong to the service provider but acknowledges the issue may need to be revisited.

“Some of the biggest questions are who owns the data and where are the business flows,” he said.