The Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) sent President Bush a letter expressing concern about the rapid deployment of VoIP. The letter said the public isn’t always aware of the difference between VoIP and traditional telephony and noted the recent case of a Houston woman who wasn’t able to dial 911 from her VoIP phone. “The public has an expectation that telephone services will provide 9-1-1 and Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) capability, regardless of whether the telephone operates on the public switched telephone network (PSTN), wireless networks, or the Internet,” APCO International Pres. Greg Ballentine said in the letter. “Yet, at present, there is a very real likelihood that a 9-1-1 call from a VoIP telephone will be lost, delayed or misrouted.”

T-Mobile finished deploying wireless priority access (WPA) technology Mon. in Washington for National Communications System (NCS), latest phase in broader project to give network-access priority to national security personnel and first responders nationwide. This stage of Capital-area deployment of WPA is significant, but is only beginning of eventual end-to-end national capability that will include Internet priority access, NCS Technology & Programs Div. Chief Peter Fonash said at E-Gov Homeland Security 2002 conference in Washington.

House Telecom Subcommittee announced following witnesses for hearing Thurs. (June 14) on progress of E911 implementation: Michael Amarosa, vp-pub. affairs, True Position; Steve Clark, vp- network operations, U.S. Cellular; James Nixon, senior mgr.- regulatory affairs, VoiceStream Wireless; Andrew Rimkus, vp, Airbiquity; Steve Souder, administrator, Arlington (Va.) 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center; Thomas Sugrue, FCC Wireless Bureau Chief. Hearing will be in Rayburn Rm. 2322 at 10:00 a.m.)

Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) applauded FCC Wireless Bureau decision last week concerning how certain Enhanced 911 expenses are to be divided between wireless carriers and public safety answering points. Bureau clarified where line is to be drawn for allocating costs of E911 Phase 1 network and database components in letter to King County, Wash., E911 program (CD May 9 p6). Letter stipulated proper demarcation point was input to 911 selective routers that ILECs maintain. “The FCC’s decision will single-handedly cut untold red tape from the process of implementing wireless enhanced 9-1-1 throughout the nation,” said APCO Pres. Lyle Gallagher. APCO pointed out that bureau decision sides with recommendations made by APCO, National Emergency Number Assn., National Assn. of State 911 Administrators.