U.S. Backs New System for Net, Phone Numbering

InternetNews.com ^ | February 14, 200 | Mark Berniker

[HAL9000]

The U.S. government is supporting a move to a new standard designed to create a single point of contact for telephone and Internet communications.

The new electronic numbering system, also known as ENUM, would give consumers a single number for all their telephone numbers, e-mail and instant messaging addresses, fax numbers and mobile phone numbers.

ENUM would give each consumer what is being called a "single identifier." But before the system goes into effect, there will be a review by domestic and global communications security experts on the issues related to consumer data protection.

The Federal Communications Commission will work with the Commerce Department and the State Department to create the new electronic numbering system. ENUM is being backed by 13 other countries around the world, and will also work with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to develop global standards for electronic numbering, or mapping of Internet addresses and phone numbers.

The ENUM standard, also know as e164.arpa, will translate telephone numbers into Internet addresses, and vice-versa. Consumers would not be expected to memorize these numbers, and it is expected that Web browsers and advanced telephones would automate the process of mapping, or numbering conversion.

On February 13th, FCC Chairman Michael Powell wrote a letter to Ambassador David A. Gross, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Office of International Communications and Information Policy. In the letter, Powell says "ENUM is a new and potentially important service, a product of the convergence of the traditional public switched telephone network with the Internet."

In the letter, Powell endorses the recommendation that the U.S. move forward on the e164.arpa standard and look into the "domestic implementation of ENUM."

The FCC's backing on ENUM appears to be a major statement of backing on Internet-based telephony, which despite speculation of dramatic growth has failed to catch on widely with consumers.

The FCC, State and Commerce Departments have said they are insisting that the highest standards of security, competition, and privacy.

The ENUM standard started with work done by the Internet Engineering Task Force's Telephone Number Mapping working group.

[dvan]

This is a great idea! It will simply monitoring of all private correspondence. The new Area code? 666!!!!

[dirtboy]

This is a great idea! It will simply monitoring of all private correspondence. The new Area code? 666!!!!

Next piece in the puzzle for a TIA-like system. Right now, it's fiendishly difficult to match data from different sources. With this data element, it would become easy...

[2oakes]

Did they think of a reason why I might want my email address linked to my phone number?

I have a home phone number, cell phone, work phone, pager, probably 5 email addresses (both work and home).

I cant think why I would want them all mixed in together..

Might be handy if it included SS and PIN numbers

[HAL9000]

It will be a hacker's delight too. They can target your computer by looking it up in the telephone directory.

On the other hand, it will be necessary for things like Internet telephony.

[Billthedrill]

Security will, of course, be the big issue. For those of us just a little paranoid - that would be yours truly, for one - this sounds like a terrific means for an inimical government to keep tabs on its citizens. OTOH, as a guy who's trying to keep his field users communicating no matter where they are, it'd be a godsend. It's the old Roman paradox, deja vu all over again: quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[boris]

You can't turn off the telescreen.

[NonValueAdded]

big brother ping

[dalereed]

No way!!!

Every form of communication would automaticly be inputed into your personal database. This makes Poindexters DOD scheme look like childs play!

[TheBattman]

So 1984 comes a couple of decades late....

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[TechJunkYard]

Wellwellwell, didn't this touch a nerve. Among the things ENUM proponents want to do is make it easier for PSTN phones to dial VOIP phones. In order to do this, telephone "numbers" for the IP phones need to be mapped into IP addresses. And the best place to store these mappings is in DNS.

And that opens up a big can of worms, because of the wide availability of tools to look up information on IP addresses. For privacy's sake, the rules should be changed for the e164.arpa domain which will hold the mappings, and they're hashing through all of that now.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world (especially Europe) is forging ahead with trial implementations, and Michael Powell at the FCC doesn't want the USA to drop behind the technology curve.

It's quite interesting when you dig into it, but there are definitely issues.

For further info see:

• ITU's ENUM Site
• ENUM.org
• EPIC's ENUM page
• Cisco's technical discussion

[B4Ranch]

No reason for national id cards if this is working.

[tomkat]

inputed ?

wtf ??