Table of Contents
Report on Katrina
We have heard from some of our members (Acadian, ADS Security, Alarm Monitoring Service, and SentryNet) that are in the areas affected by the hurricane through the ACCENT listserver and while some of them are experiencing difficulties, they are safe. Please keep all our industry friends and the rest of the people in the affected areas in your prayers.
To join the ACCENT listserver, please visit http://www.csaaul.org/ACCENTListserver.htm.
AICC Files Comments on VoIP to the FCC
Requests Notification and Non-interference Requirements for Alarm Customers
The Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) and the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) submitted on August 15, 2005 comments on behalf of its members to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) request for comments regarding additional steps needed to ensure that providers of VoIP services provide ubiquitous and reliable E911 service.
In its comments, the AICC has asked
the Commission to consider public safety requirements that should be imposed on VolP
providers in addition to E911. Specifically, CSAA asks the Commission to impose
notification and non-interference requirements on VolP providers to protect the safety
interests of subscribers to central station alarm services.
Based on its responsibility to promote safety of life and property, the Commission
adopted rules to require VolP providers that are interconnected to the PSTN to provide
E911 service. The Commission found that imposing an E911 requirement is reasonably
ancillary to its responsibility under the Act for making available "a rapid, efficient, Nation-wide, and world-wide wire and radio communication service… for the purpose of
promoting safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communication."
The Commission’s rules require interconnected VolP providers to transmit all 911 calls,
as well as a call back number and the caller's Registered Location for each call, to the
appropriate emergency authority. Further, the Commission requires that the E911 service must be a standard feature of the VolP service and not an optional feature. The
Commission also requires all providers of interconnected VolP service to advise every
subscriber of “the circumstances under which E911 service may not be available … or
may be in some way limited by comparison to traditional E911 service. Interconnected
VolP service providers also must distribute warning stickers or other appropriate labels to
all subscribers “warning subscribers if E911 service may be limited or not available…”
The Commission states that "while a provider of VolP service
enjoys the opportunity to introduce new and exciting public interest benefits to the
communications marketplace, and to profit from those offerings, that opportunity brings
with it the responsibility to ensure that public safety is protected."
CSAA agrees with the Commission that VolP providers have a responsibility to
ensure that public safety is protected. However, with respect to the subscribers to central
station alarm service, this responsibility cannot be met solely by extending access to
E911. Rather, just as the public relies on access to E911, subscribers to central station
alarm operations rely on these services for personal, home, and business protection.
Thus, VolP providers should be required to ensure that they do not interfere with other
public safety mechanisms employed by subscribers, such as central station alarm
services. At a minimum, VolP providers should be required to determine whether a new
VolP customer has alarm service and to notify and work with the alarm company before cutting over the customer's service in order to ensure that alarm service is not degraded,
interrupted or terminated.
CSAA believes that such a requirement is consistent with the Commission's Title
I responsibility to promote "safety of life and property.” It also is consistent with the
notification requirements imposed by the Commission on VoIP providers in connection
with E911 service, whereby the Commission requires providers of interconnected VoIP
service to advise subscribers of the circumstances under which E911 service may not be
available or may be limited in comparison to traditional E911 service.
We will keep you informed of the FCC's decision on this Comment.
To read the complete text of the Comments, please click here.
CSAA ‘05 Annual Meeting Room Block Near Sold Out Status
CSAA ’05 Annual Meeting Early-Bird Deadline Nears
The 2005 CSAA Annual Meeting room block at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani is close to sold out status. Already CSAA has had to add rooms to the block to cover demand on some nights. Now, with less than one month to go to the CSAA September 29 hotel cut-off date, the hotel is also near sell out on certain nights and CSAA can no longer add rooms to its block. As of this writing, all nights are still available at the CSAA discount rate, except for the night of October 21. The only rooms remaining at the hotel for the night of the October 21 are at standard rack rate. If you plan to attend the meeting and have not made your hotel reservation you should do so now. Contact the hotel directly at 1-808-679-0079.
If you have not registered for the CSAA 2005 Annual Meeting at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani and you plan to take advantage of the early-bird registration price break, time is running out. A completed registration form and payment in full must be received by September 8, 2005 to qualify for early bird prices. Any registrations received after that date will be charged the regular registration fee, an increase of $100 per person, except for children 6-18 which increases by $50 per child. The cut-off date for all registrations is October 6, 2005.
For complete details on the meeting, or to download a registration form, visit the CSAA website at www.csaaul.org.
