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VoIP Information Urgently Needed

We need your help on a critical matter affecting your business.

Voice over Internet (VoIP) is proving to be one of the most important issues to negatively affect the security industry. We have a vehicle to influence the FCC by imposing regulations on VoIP on behalf of the security industry to prevent the disruption of burglar and fire alarm services.

The FCC has asked for reply comments to a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to VoIP. But we have a very short window to form our reply.

The Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) needs to:

(1) describe clearly the present and future threats to reliable alarm service posed by VoIP services;
 
(2) present specific anecdotal examples and data showing that these threats and disruptions are concrete and likely to grow as VoIP use increases; and
 
(3) propose regulatory solutions that will eliminate, reduce or limit VoIP disruption of alarm services.

The AICC will bring the adverse impact of VoIP upon alarm services to the attention of the FCC and seek regulatory relief. To present a complete and accurate picture and to develop effective regulatory proposals, it needs as much as possible of the following types of information from CSAA, NBFAA and SIA members by June 30, 2004.

Some of the problems that alarm companies have encountered from VoIP services are:

a. Many existing digital communicator alarm control panel formats are not compatible with at least some VoIP services and may not be reliably transmitted to the central station.

b. VoIP providers cut subscriber connections to the telephone network and replace them with connections via the cable company to the Internet to the in-house system behind the RJ31X jack. This results is in the system being incorrectly configured, because the RJ31X becomes wired incorrectly, and the panel is disconnected in the alarm state, unable to send signals to the central station.

c. VoIP providers have totally disconnected the in-house wiring and installed short-range wireless phones connected to the VoIP device. The alarm panel is then totally disconnected from the telephone network and rendered useless.

d. The Bell Companies, AT&T, MCI, Sprint and other large local and long distance telephone companies may route portions of calls through VoIP facilities, and alarm data may be lost or distorted during these VoIP segments of calls.

e. Some alarm customers have changed their telephone service from a local exchange carrier to a VoIP provider without notifying their alarm company and without realizing that their alarm system may no longer work.

f. VoIP systems are vulnerable to power outages unless customers have adequate battery or other auxiliary power. Unlike traditional telephone service, they are powered from the customer premises rather than from the telephone central office.

____________________________

Please complete the short survey below to collect this important information and either e-mail (communications@csaaul.org) or fax (703-242-4675) your responses no later than June 30, 2004.

Name ___________________________________________

Company ________________________________________

Phone ___________________________________________

  1. Has your company encountered any of these problems? If “yes,” please provide specific details including VoIP provider name.

    Has your company encountered problems with VoIP services other than those listed above? If yes, please describe the problem and furnish details.
     
  2. Has your company engaged in any discussions with VoIP providers (including cable and non-cable providers) regarding actual or potential VoIP-related disruptions of alarm services?

    If so, please provide details and results of the discussions. Also, please indicate whether we may or may not identify the companies involved in such discussions.
     
  3. Are you aware of one or more instances where an alarm system was unable to communicate an alarm due to a VoIP-related problem? Please describe the situation, and detail the known consequences (including unnecessary losses or injuries, lawsuits, etc.).
     
  4. Do you have any alarm equipment vendor documents that discuss VoIP-related problems or issues? Can you furnish them?
     

Please reply no later than June 30, 2004 to communications@csaaul.org or fax to 703-242-4675.