Qwest told FCC that despite ‘good-faith efforts’ to move Enhanced...

2002. Issue of ILEC readiness for Phase 2 deployment of E911 has been cited in past by some carriers and public safety groups as “missing link” for E911 rollouts. In Fri. filing at FCC, Qwest took issue with Dec. 10 letters from T-Mobile to PSAPs in its 14-state region. Qwest said T-Mobile informed PSAPs it wouldn’t be able to offer Phase 1 E911 services to them because Qwest had refused to provide those services over connection capable of handling Phase 2 location identification information. Qwest said T-Mobile painted “overall inaccurate picture.” It said it had advised T- Mobile to consider digital solution called noncall associated signaling to support wireless 911 deployments. Instead, filing said T-Mobile opted for use of analog-based technology called CellTrace, which was used to roll out Phase 1 E911 in Ariz., Iowa and Colo. “It was T-Mobile’s subsequent change in its deployment strategy for Phase 1 services from its original decision to proceed with an analog approach to one now involving digital technology that has in large part created the current difficulties in T-Mobile’s deployments,” Qwest said. In letter to Wireless Bureau Acting Policy Div. Chief Blaise Scinto, Qwest took issue with change in T- Mobile’s deployment strategy for Phase 1 E911 data. Qwest said while it technically was possible to deliver automatic location identification data on interface technology selected by T-Mobile, system identified information as Phase 2, not Phase 1, data. It said it became clear that E2 Plus interface wasn’t well-suited for Phase 1 deployments. “Qwest advised T-Mobile that, if T-Mobile continued to want to deliver Phase 1 data over an interface designed for Phase 2 delivery, it should make changes to correct the inaccurate characterization of the data,” Qwest said. It said T-Mobile hadn’t made those changes. Phase 1 of E911 rules requires carriers to supply 911 dispatchers location of cell site or base station receiving emergency call. Phase 2 requires more specific automatic location information. Robert Calaff, T- Mobile corporate counsel in Washington, told us Mon. that carrier was “perplexed that Qwest seems to be the only major LEC that can’t figure out how to do what we are trying to do here, which is to deliver Phase 1 information over the E2 interface.” Position of T-Mobile is that issue “is solely within Qwest’s capability and control because the problem that is potentially surfacing now is one that relates to the presentation of the location information that T-Mobile is delivering to the LEC.” That presentation capability is part of E2 interface itself and is programmed by Qwest and its 911 database vendor Intrado, Calaff said. “We are doubly perplexed because that is within T-Mobile’s control to solve,” he said.