voip providers

T-Mobile may extend VoIP with Hotspot@Home

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:59:56 -0400

T-Mobile USA has submitted a wireless router for testing by the FCC, several reports indicate. The extrapolation is that T-Mobile intends to extend its wireless hub and HotSpot VoIP capabilities into a full-fledged VoIP landline service. The router appears to support two landline phones and two cellular phones per unit, according to reports.

Hotspot@Home, launched in June, allows T-Mobile customers to connect via the firm's cellular network and its 8,500 WiFi hotspot locations across the country. T-Mobile offers two HotSpot-compatible handsets--the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6086. The handsets themselves sense whether or not WiFi is available.

For more:
- CNet provides and excellent overview of T-Mobile's build-up here
- TG Daily provides a perspective on T-Mobile's VoIP strategy here

Related Articles
T-Mobile CEO says wVoIP won't catch on Report

FEATURE: FMC and the battle for the building

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 20:01:32 -0400

Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) has set in motion profound changes in the telecom industry. From dual-mode handsets to IMS infrastructure, FMC is rippling through the industry from subscribers, through equipment vendors, and into the service providers themselves.

Just a few years ago, subscriber ownership was clear. A mobile user making calls over the mobile network generated revenues for the mobile operator, while subscribers making calls on the fixed-line network generated revenues for the fixed operator. Currently, however, with the rapid maturing of disruptive technologies such as broadband, VoIP, WiFi, and dual-mode handsets, these scenarios no longer hold true. For example, mobile subscribers will soon be able to make mobile calls over fixed networks as well as fixed calls from mobile devices. As a result, a major new battle in the telecom industry is rapidly taking shape--the battle for the building-that will determine which operators will ultimately own voice services within homes, offices, and other indoor/fixed locations.

Today, four primary forces have collided to construct this new battleground. First is the rise of broadband, which has achieved significant penetration in major markets. Broadband now offers any service provider an independent, cost-effective means to deliver compelling new IP-based services to consumers independent of the broadband access provider.

The rise of broadband leads to the second force, which is a dramatic increase in VoIP competition for fixed-line minutes of use. As we have all witnessed, new low-cost, feature-rich consumer VoIP services such as AT&T's Call Vantage, Vonage, and Skype are hastening the decline of traditional fixed-line revenues.

Next is the rise of WiFi and local-area mobility. When combined with broadband and VoIP, WiFi begins to present a real threat to mobile operators. With wireless VoIP (wVoIP), new VoIP providers can now mobilize their services and begin to directly attack the mobile operators' mainstream voice business.

Last, and at the heart of the battle for the building, are new dual-mode cellular/WiFi handsets. With these devices, subscribers will have the ability to receive services over both cellular networks as well as fixed broadband networks. When all is said and done, the battle for the building is really over the following key issue: When a dual-mode handset is connected to the fixed broadband network via WiFi, should the voice service belong to the fixed operator or the mobile operator?

A case can be made for both sides. In one camp are the fixed-line operators that have traditionally owned in-building voice revenues. The use of the fixed-line broadband network to transport calls certainly highlights the advantages of their network for service delivery. Based on escalating losses in their fixed-line voice revenues, we should expect to see fixed operators aggressively pursue ownership of services delivered to mobile devices when connected via WiFi.

Conversely, when consumers sign up for a mobile service they should expect to receive it at home over WiFi no differently than they receive it over the outdoor cellular network. Companies such as Vonage and Skype do not share revenues with the underlying broadband providers, so why would a mobile provider share its revenues just because the call is delivered over the fixed network?

The weapons being employed in the battle for the building are also taking shape, with each operator type choosing a technology that supports its goals. Fixed-line operators are looking to an upcoming technology known as Voice Call Continuity (VCC), for which specifications are still being developed. VCC has set out to define how a dual-mode handset can be controlled by the fixed-line VoIP network when on a broadband/WiFi network in the home and how a fixed VoIP call can be transferred to the mobile network when the subscriber walks out the front door.

On the other side is Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), a 3GPP global standard developed by mobile and integrated operators to extend mobile voice, data, and IMS services over WiFi and broadband access networks. In the case of UMA, the mobile operator always controls the dual-mode handset, whether it is connected via the outdoor cellular network or the fixed network via WiFi. With UMA, subscribers continue to receive the same mobile experience, including the same services and user interface; however, the services work better and cost less when connected via WiFi.

In addition to fixed and mobile operators, there are integrated operators who own both fixed and mobile assets. For integrated operators, the end goal is the convergence of the fixed and mobile core networks together around IMS, yet the paths to this goal are wide and varied. Looking to a five-to-ten-year horizon, operators need to consider where to invest their time and money to resolve and win this battle for the building. Fundamentally, the battle comes down to personal communication services, specifically voice and the new generation of applications designed for consumers. Does the integrated operator increase its investment to deliver these services on the mobile network or invest in a transitional technology to link the fixed network to mobile service delivery?

This is a fight that will continue to be waged in the marketplace. The battle for the building will reshape personal communications services, while also shaping the future of fixed and mobile operators.

Steve Shaw is director of marketing for Kineto Wireless. He will be speaking at the industry's first dedicated UMA Conference, June 27-29 in Barcelona.

U.K.'s The Cloud launches wVoIP assault

Mon, 01 May 2006 20:01:37 -0400

Mobile operators in the U.K. now have to deal with competition from WiFi operator The Cloud. The company launched an "all-you-can-eat" pricing scheme that also includes wireless VoIP calls. The $15 per month plan includes 7,000 WiFi hotspots around the U.K. and in all major U.K. cities. Users of The Cloud's hotspots will be able to make VoIP calls from their laptops or WiFi phones. This is probably the first test of how alternative wireless VoIP providers will impact the mobile market. It will be interesting to see what sort of competitive moves mobile operators will take.

For more about The Cloud's all-you-can-eat pricing:
- check out this article from telecoms.com (sub. req.)

Hutchison embraces VoIP, others ready for battle

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:01:38 -0500

When it comes to the threat of alternative VoIP providers over wireless, carriers are emerging with varying strategies. Hutchison is embracing, and indeed encouraging, third-party VoIP usage through a deal with Skype. Later this year, Hutchison's European mobile businesses will begin bundling Skype's new client for Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 with smartphones and flat-rate data tariffs. Yet there are a lot of answered questions that Hutchison wasn't really answering, including the possibility of cannibalization, what implications this would have on the network and the lack of QoS in the current 3G standard.

Meanwhile, Vodafone Group CEO Arun Sarin said his company will look to offer big mobile data bundles in the future to counter the threat from VoIP services. HSDPA technology will make large data bundles possible in the next two to three years. U.S. carriers offer flat-rate high-speed data service pricing but their contracts limit any type of VoIP usage or machine-to-machine communications primarily because of network capacity concerns. When it comes to VoIP adoption today, QoS is still an issue as are the expensive bundles carriers are offering.

For more information about Hutchison's VoIP plans and Vodafone's comments about VoIP:
- check out this article from telecoms.com (sub. req.)
- read this article from Dow Jones

ALSO NOTED:

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 19:00:41 -0500

WiMax: Although we hoped it would, the WiMax hype factor never seemed to cool down. With the incredibly devastating hurricane season, launch of WiBro in Korea and the recent ratification of 802.16e, WiMax stayed in the headlines for what seemed like much of the year. As predicted, 2005 was not the breakthrough year for WiMax, even though there were a few commercial deployments worldwide. Next year will be the true litmus test for the technology as its fixed standard launches in full force and tries to live up to expectations.

Wireless VoIP: Last year, FierceWireless correctly predicted that wVoIP would penetrate the enterprise for use over corporate WLANs and public hotspots. Of course, the big VoIP news this year is eBay's astronomically expensive Skype acquisition. With the FCC chairman's recent nod toward taxing and voice service that uses phone numbers, you can bet VoIP providers will start pushing into the wireless space on a quest for more revenues to keep cost-competitive and make switching worth it. Wireless VoIP emerged as a forward-looking industry topic of 2005, and judging by muni-WiFi deployments and plans, wVoIP will certainly become a market reality in 2006. More on that in our next issue.

Bluetooth: As expected, Bluetooth made its way onto more devices than ever in 2005. Analysts say one-in-six phones sold in the third quarter had Bluetooth capability. The real question still remains: Why does this matter? Carriers still don't make much money off of Bluetooth-based applications. However, US consumers are increasingly willing to shell out the money for Bluetooth, especially because of its in-vehicle usage. Nokia, EMI Music and others recently launch trials of free music downloads using Bluetooth.

Ultrawideband: Last year, we noted that the UWB standard was still bottlenecked in the IEEE and no resolution to the standards fight was in sight. The end of 2005 carries the same grim message for UWB; this time next year we may not even be talking about it.

FCC chairman for taxing VoIP, allowing two-tiered Internet

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 19:01:37 -0500

Shortly after a large gathering of telco executives sang "Happy Birthday" to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, he said that taxing VoIP systems was a good idea. Applause. The idea is one predecessor Powell was vehemently against. That's good news for telcos that want VoIP providers to have to deal with taxes, too, and beef up those cheap rates. Shortly before blowing out his candles, the chairman also said he saw no reason to push for network neutrality rules for the Internet. BellSouth and AT&T said they want to give preferential treatment to their own voice and IPTV services while charging other ISPs and sites like Google and Yahoo! for space on the premium high-speed fiber-optic networks they're building. As some have suggested, this could explain Google buying all that dark fiber. The company may be looking to have a network of its own to avoid this whole mess.

For more on chairman Martin's birthday wishes:
- check out this article in Broadband Reports
- and this article from CNET

Vonage announces all VoIP customers 911 compliant, not e911

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 19:01:35 -0500

Vonage announced that all of their VoIP customers now have access to 911 services--not to be confused with e911 services that the FCC is requiring for all VoIP providers. Although CNET reported that Vonage said its entire VoIP network is compliant with the e911 regulations, the company actually reported that regular 911 service is available to all its customers and that it had expanded its e911 service to 80 new countries. Vonage also said that it is spending $50 million to make its service fully compliant with the e911 regulations. When the FCC's e911 deadline came on November 28, Vonage said that only about 25 percent of its subscribers had access to the e911 service. Two weeks is not nearly enough time to finish the $50 million project.

For more on Vonage's VoIP 911 announcement:
- take a look at this blog entry from Techdirt

e911 deadline passed without fanfare, repercussions

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 19:01:35 -0500

The e911 deadline for VoIP operators has come and gone, and it seems neither the FCC nor VoIP providers will discuss compliance reports. Despite efforts by Congress for an extension, a federal appeals court ruled the FCC could not extend the November 28 deadline. The FCC also refused to discuss whether it would take action against companies who had not equipped their users with e911 service. The FCC did say that at this point it is focused on the compliance reports filed by the VoIP operators. VoIP providers Vonage and AT&T, who together claim 1.1 million users, both declined to comment on their compliance status. SunRocket claims 50,000 subscribers and said that 96 percent of its customers are equipped with e911 service.

For more on the lame duck e911 deadline:
- see this article from AP

FCC repeals e911 deadline, adds marketing provisions

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 19:01:38 -0500

In yet another compelling turn of events in the ongoing e911 VoIP saga, the FCC decided that VoIP providers will not have to cut off subscribers who have not acknowledged their lack of e911 coverage. VoIP providers, however, must disclose how much of their subscriber base receives e911 service and stop marketing their services and accepting new customers from areas that are not e911 enabled. The ruling holds true even for those potential subscribers that have legacy 911 services. e911 service automatically identifies a caller's geographical location and routes an emergency call to a local call center.

Conservative estimates hold that 98 million mostly rural Americans won't be able to become new subscribers when the FCC ruling takes effect. The Senate proposed a bill that would require e911 service from VoIP providers but also expects more flexibility from the FCC. If the FCC's original deadline was enforced, an estimated 750,000 VoIP subscribers would have lost their service.

For more on the FCC's VoIP e911 plans:
- check out this article from CNET

Senate Commerce Committee passes bill for VoIP e911

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 19:01:35 -0500

The Senate Commerce Committee passed a bill that not only gives VoIP providers access to the traditional e911 network, but also set new guidelines for FCC regulations. The bill allows VoIP providers to use the e911 network that is already in existence and used by wireless providers, instead of forcing them to work around it. In accordance with the old bill and regulations, VoIP providers had until November 28 to comply with e911 regulations and would have had to disconnect service to any customers who did not formally recognize possible limitations in accessing 911 services.

With the passage of the new bill, the FCC will now have 120 days to formulate new regulations that are "technologically and operationally feasible," effectively erasing the November 28 deadline. If the bill becomes law, the FCC could no longer require that VoIP providers disconnect any customers that subscribed before 2006 and submitted a written or electronic acknowledgment of possible 911 limitations. The bill must still be approved by the rest of Congress and the president before VoIP providers can breathe a sigh of relief.

For more on the Senate's proposed solution to the e911 VoIP issue:
- check out this article from Red Herring

Trend: Telcos to dominate European VoIP, pure plays disappear

Mon, 10 Oct 2005 20:01:38 -0400

According to a study by Forrester Research, European telcos will maintain their dominance as voice carriers despite the growth of pure play VoIP providers like Vonage and Skype. The study cites the pure plays' lack of transformational and disruptive technology as well as the actions of proactive European telcos like BT and France Telecom, which have aggressively pursued VoIP services. VoIP adoption in Europe will move slowly because only 1 percent of Europeans use VoIP frequently, a whopping 70 percent of consumers don't even know what VoIP is and Europe has a relatively low broadband take-up. Forrester expects VoIP to capture 30 percent of the residential fixed voice market in 2010 but won't approach 100 percent until 2020.

The study also reassures telcos that VoIP services will not always be free but will continue to restructure the pricing paradigm of voice delivery services. Forrester says the hype surrounding VoIP pure plays is reminiscent of the UMTS hype, dot-com, and telecom bubble days.

For more on the European VoIP market:
- check out this article from Tekrati

FCC extends VoIP 911 deadline again

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:01:38 -0400

The FCC has given VoIP service providers more time to notify their users of difficulties in reaching a live 911 dispatcher in their area. The decision marks the second deadline the FCC has pushed back on the issue. The agency said most VoIP service providers have attained acknowledgments from 90 percent of their users. Service providers who have not reached that percentage have until the end of October. Those that fail to meet the mark must disconnect those users who have not made the acknowledgment. Insiders say the FCC's deadlines seem pointless, if not condescending to the VoIP providers, because the companies will need to provide fully functional 911 services to their users by late November.

For more on the FCC 911 deadline:
- check out this story from the AP

ALSO NOTED: FCC to enforce VoIP 911; Motricity, Sam Goody offer ringtones in-store; and much more...

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 20:00:41 -0400

> The FCC is scheduled on Wednesday to begin enforcing its requirement that VoIP providers using the PSTN explain potential limitations about 911 services to 100 percent of their subscribers. Article

> FierceWireless Fierce15 member Motricity partners with Sam Goody, making it the first to offer in-store ringtone downloads. Release

> Lucent will integrate Pulse's Veepers technology that enables users to create and deploy virtual characters for Web and wireless applications into its Video Greetings applications service. Release

> Bluetooth SIG updates its qualification program to help companies bring Bluetooth products to market faster. Article

> Summus and ClearSky Multimedia distribute Maxim and other publications to mobile subscribers through carriers. Release

> Sprint Nextel and Motorola offer smartphone with Windows Mobile to compete with Treo. Release

> Vancouver-based Mobile Operandi's Mophone lets members find and legally share photos, ring tones, wallpapers, messages and games within dynamic mobile communities. Article

> FCC says VoIP providers must be wiretap ready by spring 2007. Article

> Wireless firms dream of making handsets that rival the PC and TV. Article

> Linksys launches products with SES (SecureEasySetup) technology in the UAE. Article

> Blue Tree Wireless teams with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (SEMC) to make the successor wireless modems to SEMC's GM and GT Series modems. Release

> Baracoda launched its RoadRunners family of mobile, Bluetooth-enabled barcode scanners. Release

And Finally... THQ Wireless teamed up with LucasFilm to launch first ever multiplayer Star Wars game for the mobile phone. Release

ALSO NOTED: Clearwire denies blocking VoIP providers; Sprint Nextel merger ahead of schedule; and much more...

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 20:00:41 -0400

> Clearwire denies blocking any VoIP providers. Blog

> Sprint Nextel merger reportedly ahead of schedule. Article

> IPWireless claims its UMTS RailLink provided uninterrupted wireless broadband access in trains going as fast as 220 kilometers an hour. Article

> UK launches first nationwide mobile TV trial. Article

> Qualcomm and Sky Link announce plans to bring BREW services to wireless subscribers in Russia. Release

And finally... Wireless devices could foil hijack attempts. Article

House releases regulations bill draft

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 20:01:39 -0400

The House energy and commerce committee released a 77-page draft of a broadband regulations bill that would put DSL and cable providers on equal footing. The bill would also allow municipalities to run their own broadband services as long as they comply with the same regulations as their private sector counterparts. The draft proposes that BITS, VoIP, and broadband video services be subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction and have to register with the FCC. These services cannot block their users' access to any content or applications and must allow them to connect to their services with whatever devices they choose.

The committee also gave considerable attention to VoIP services. The draft lets VoIP providers negotiate their own rates with wireline carriers, but the FCC can mediate if the talks fail. Another regulation demands VoIP services ensure that their users have 911 and e911 services, in accordance with future FCC rulings on such requirements.

For more details of the House broadband bill:
- take a look at this article from CNet

FEATURE: Voice Over Metro-Scale WiFi -- An Open Standard Alternative to Cellular

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 20:01:32 -0400

Voice Over Metro-Scale WiFi -- An Open Standard Alternative to Cellular
Tropos Networks' Ron Sege argues that the combination of municipal WiFi and IP telephony could enable wireless VoIP to compete with traditional cellular technologies.

The adoption of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has accelerated over the past few years as broadband Internet penetration has increased, technical challenges have been surmounted, prices have decreased and regulatory hurdles have been cleared. Stand alone service providers such as Vonage (traditional VoIP using SIP and RTP) and Skype (softphones running on PCs) have initiated service. Vonage now claims more than 700,000 lines in service while Skype claims more than 40 million registered users worldwide. With the entry of the cable companies (MSOs) and other service providers into the business, IDC expects the number of US homes with VoIP service to grow from 3 million in 2005 to 27 million by the end of 2009.

Currently missing from the mix is a mobility component -- the ability to take VoIP out of the home and office. With the rapidly increasing adoption of metro-scale WiFi mesh networks, this will soon change. The combination of VoIP, WiFi handsets, and metro-scale WiFi networks will soon offer a cost-effective, open-standard alternative to traditional closed, proprietary cellular telephones. The effects of this development will be similar to those of other open-standard movements such as those triggered by TCP/IP and Ethernet. It will enable many new entrants into the mobile voice market, increase consumer service options, quickly broaden the range of applications and decrease prices through more competition. It will also enable metro-scale WiFi service providers to improve their ROI by offering additional services on their existing data-only networks.

WiFi handsets and metro-scale WiFi mesh networks will enhance the ability of wireline VoIP providers to compete in the mobile market, enabling VoIP services outside the home and office. The result will be increased ARPU, increased customer stickiness, and decreased MVNO costs. Because metro-scale WiFi requires 67 percent less capital expenditure to install than 3G wireless and requires monthly operating expense per subscriber at least 20 percent lower, these networks will be very competitive. Much of WiFi's cost advantage stems from its use of cost-effective, open standard radio technology rather than expensive, proprietary cellular technology. The simplicity of WiFi mesh networks also lowers barriers to market entry by significantly reducing the specialized technical skills required to install and operate a broadband network. Because metro-scale WiFi roll out is still in its early stages, the most likely scenario is for VoWiFi providers to offer subscribers hybrid WiFi/cellular handsets, connecting to the WiFi network whenever they can and using the cellular network otherwise. This will allow VoIP subscribers to offer coverage in the largest possible footprint, using the most economical service available in each area.

Enabling VoIP service providers to add affordable mobile service to their offering will increase consumer choice. Consumer options will be further increased because the enabling network will be WiFi, which will provide true broadband Internet access (>1 Mbps, symmetrical throughput) to their handsets for higher speed data service than cellular can offer. The increased competition from VoIP providers using low-cost metro-scale WiFi, in both mobile and, via bundling, fixed voice service, will decrease costs to consumers.

While some VoIP providers will build their own metro-scale WiFi mesh networks, others will lease bandwidth from metro-scale WiFi networks operators. These will include both private entities and municipalities. Revenues from VoIP providers will enhance the ROI of these network operators by providing an incremental income stream and by allowing them to better utilize their networks' capacity.

Wide spread use of VoIP service on metro-scale WiFi mesh networks does have hurdles to overcome. Today, cellular's footprint is much larger than that of metro-scale WiFi. WiFi currently lacks standards for Quality of Service (QoS) and fast roaming. Regulatory issues, such as E911 compliance, remain. However, things are changing fast. With metro-scale WiFi mesh networks already installed in more than 200 cities and planned in at least 200 more, city-wide WiFi networks will soon offer service in the US' more populated areas. IEEE standards committees are actively tackling the QoS (802.11e) and fast roaming (802.11r) issues, with standards for both expected in the near future. The regulatory issues are the same as for wireline VoIP and are being worked through by the industry.

In-Stat forecasts that the number of cellular/WiFi subscribers will reach more than 256 million worldwide by 2009, or roughly 12 percent of all cellular subscribers. By 2009, the firm expects that the number of subscribers using WiFi for voice will exceed the number using WiFi for data only. By offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional cellular telephones, enabling new entrants into the mobile voice market, increasing consumer service options while decreasing their costs and enabling metro-scale WiFi service providers to improve their ROI, VoIP services delivered via metro-scale WiFi mesh networks will play a crucial role in making In-Stat's prediction come to fruition.

Ron Sege is President and CEO of Tropos Networks. He is one of many speakers at wVoIP 2005, an exclusive executive summit dedicated to the convergence of wireless and VoIP. To learn more about wVoIP 2005 visit: www.wvoip.com.

Metric: Skype leads US VoIP market

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 20:01:36 -0400

New research from intelligent broadband network equipment maker Sandvine reveals that Skype is the leading VoIP service provider in North America. The company is responsible for 35.8 percent of all VoIP calls in the US. When it comes to share of minutes, Skype takes an even more commanding lead of 46.2 percent, suggesting that Skype users are also making longer calls. Other PC-based VoIP services like Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL chat are distant seconds.

Third-party paid VoIP providers represent 35.7 percent of all VoIP minutes. Broadband service providers hold the strongest position in this category since joining the race, quickly closing the gap with an 18.1 percent share of all VoIP minutes. Vonage, Primus, and AT&T CallVantage hold the next three positions.

For more on the US VoIP market:
- see this piece from TMCnet

SPOTLIGHT: FCC's silence baffles VoIP providers

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 20:01:25 -0400

By next Friday, VoIP providers must advise all subscribers of any 911 service limitations and get "affirmative acknowledgment" that customers understand that VoIP 911 service is not the same as landline 911. But what happens if the customers don't affirm? The FCC isn't saying. The FCC's 911 decision did not address whether VoIP providers will have to suspend the accounts of subscribers who don't respond affirmatively. The agency has so far failed to shed any light on the matter, much to providers' puzzlement and annoyance. Article

Supreme Court ruling to impact VoIP market

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 20:01:36 -0400

The US Supreme Court's decision to uphold FCC rules allowing cable operators to block rival Internet providers from distributing their branded, high-speed Internet services over cable operators' own broadband networks could have a huge impact on the VoIP industry. The Court's 6-3 ruling upheld an earlier FCC decision saying cable operators were exempt from common-carrier regulations that apply to phone companies. Cable operators will likely respond to the decision by folding VoIP telephony into discount packages offering Internet access, phone, TV, and other services.

As a result, ISP VoIP independents, such as EarthLink, will have to bear larger upfront costs, shift cable access expenses to their customers, or cut deals with DSL providers. Analysts and insiders claim the ruling is a big win for cable companies and a major loss for pure-play VoIP providers and ISPs.

For more on the Supreme Court's cable ruling:
- go to this piece from Forbes

PLUS: Will the Supreme Court's decision impact peer-to-peer VoIP providers like Skype? Blog

FEATURE: CALEA Goes IP

Thu, 16 Jun 2005 20:01:32 -0400

CALEA Goes IP
SS8 Networks' Cemal Dikmen outlines how VoIP providers can comply with the US Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

Lawful intercept (LI), also referred to as "wiretapping" or "communications interception," is the identification, isolation, delivery and collection of communication sessions (voice, email, packet data, etc.) for use by law enforcement. This critical law enforcement tool is used by many authorized government agencies to investigate criminal and terrorist activities.

Now that the clinical definition has been dispensed with, it's on to talking about what LI really is -- simply the partnership between law enforcement and service providers based on the US Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Obviously, service providers are reluctant to talk about LI. No provider wants to discuss the "Big Brother" implications of making it possible for law enforcement to tap phone calls. However, the law requires that every traditional telephony carrier must offer a CALEA solution. VoIP, on the other hand, lacks many of the regulations levied upon traditional wireline service providers.

When the CALEA law was signed into existence a decade ago, lawmakers had no idea that 10 years later, people would use the Internet to communicate freely with each other. As such, the laws, which allow law enforcement officials to listen in on the calls of criminals, terrorists and other targets of criminal investigation, were not written to include VoIP. Today, that oversight (if it's even fair to call it that) has left VoIP as a wide-open communications avenue for criminals. Fortunately for the good guys, law enforcement agencies (LEAs), service providers and equipment manufacturers are continuously working together to develop products and define technical standards for LI in the quest to to protect the public.

That quest isn't an easy one. The LI market is dynamic. New switch releases, switch types, edge devices and technologies are constantly being added to service provider networks. In addition, LI standards are evolving as technology and government requirements change. VoIP's popularity has increased dramatically over the past year, but as this evolution takes place, many service providers are still operating legacy systems and need an LI solution that can meet both circuit and packet requirements. For these reasons, choosing an LI solution can be tricky for carriers and are some major points to consider when facing that decision.

The first real VoIP LI solutions were introduced only two years ago, but they set the tone for all other solutions that must come after them. In its design, an LI solution should leverage wireless, wireline and VoIP applications. An additional necessary feature is support for multiple delivery standards for traditional circuit-switched (wireless and wireline), next-generation packet, ISP, 2G/3G wireless data and hybrid networks. Constructing the solution with a modular architecture will make it possible to support multi-vendor switch environments with a common interface that increases the ease of use and operation. Compliance with LI requirements, both for domestic and international markets as well as multiple standards, also is important.

As with many new technologies at present, transitioning from the old technologies will take time. In the case of service providers, legacy systems still supply the bulk of the providers' revenues. These providers are, however, beginning to see the value in next-generation networks. As such, many of the carriers have developed a migration strategy to eventually deploy IP networks. In the meantime, many are operating converged, hybrid networks that use elements of PSTN and IP.

To provide a path to expanded LI capabilities -- both in current and future networks -- an LI solution should feature a scalable, modular architecture and use standard hardware. That type of architecture lends itself to entry-level implementations and can be upgraded easily or modified to meet growth requirements manifesting from network expansion, increases in subscriber population or intercept volumes, changes in monitoring patterns and new monitoring requirements. The modular architecture also supports co-located, regional or centralized deployment models and provides configurations for country-specific regulations.

A good CALEA solution also should feature secure centralized operational management for service providers and ensure a single point of administration and access for LEAs. That central command and control point enables service providers to manage their LI operations located at multiple sites or distributed across multiple networks in a secure and efficient manner. In addition, multiple levels of user privileges are required, both for secure operations, and to separate regular maintenance activities from intercept provisioning. This way, administrators and operators with different clearance levels can support the same platform without accessing each other's secure data.

It also is important for an LI solution to support multiple switches from a central point. A centralized delivery point allows the provisioning of a single LI interface on the switch and eliminates the need for additional physical interfaces from each switch to the law enforcement. The single access point enables carriers to centralize surveillance operations in a more controlled, cost-effective and secure way. This reduces the overall LI administration cost for the service providers and simplifies the job of the LEA by providing a single interface into a carrier's multi-switch, multi-vendor network.

In addition, to develop a good CALEA solution, a vendor should work closely with multiple parties, including network equipment providers, service providers and law enforcement communities worldwide to ensure that all of their needs are met. Because an LI solution should comply with US and international LI requirements, representation and involvement in industry associations and major standards bodies also is essential.

Another crucial part of providing an LI solution is offering training and knowledge transfer to the system administrators who install and maintain the system, as well as to the operators and agents who use the intercept platform. With more knowledge and training, service providers and LEAs can use the LI solution more effectively and securely. That increased effectiveness ultimately means more criminals off the streets and behind bars.

Choosing an LI solution that can simultaneously handle the ever-changing worlds of VoIP and crime can be a difficult task, but a little bit of research and a lot of patience can help service providers stay compliant. More importantly, those carriers will be going beyond simply offering telecommunications services -- they will be providing peace of mind to their customers and working toward making the world a safer place in which to live, work and play.

Cemal Dikmen is vice president and general manager of lawful intercept for SS8 Networks.