FCC-- Workshop 2

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in Transition

The second of two workshops on the PSTN in Transition was held Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at the Federal Communication Commission, 9am Eastern. A replay should be available soon.  

"We're not taking away Grandma's phone," declared the opening speaker. The idea here is that we should refer to the transition as "rebirth and renewal" rather than the sunset of the PSTN. Don't scare Grandma! 

IP Telephony matters. These are the clients of our toll free services. Yet, even of those who have adopted VOIP, the vast majority still use conventional touch tone phones as their interface. 

The reality of the IP world in place today may best be demonstrated by this FCC webcast itself. During the course of Wednesday's six-hour broadcast, the picture froze or disconnected every 10-15 minutes and there was constant buzz in the audio -- even before the sessions began. Was this due to our IP provider? My computer? Maybe the FCC uplink? Who knows, and who would you call if you really needed quality of service?

One speaker likened the PSTN transition to a Quarter-Life Crisis; where adolescence ends and adult responsibility begins. Another noted that social values apply - privacy, public safety, disability access, etc. -- regardless of what technology is deployed. Another lamented that if we can't first agree on values, we will never agree on policy.

"Transitions take time," stated another who offered a striking example: The last hand-cranked telephone was not decommissioned until 1983, decades after it was declared "dead." One speaker called into question the viability of enum as the basis of future addressing, given the necessity of universal adoption (More of that and it's implications to toll free numbers soon).

Despite one speakers observation that the PSTN transition is 75% complete, where we really are may best be summed up by an expression of gratitude at the end of today's session: "Thank you for helping us to begin our planning." 

Sit back. Take a breath. The planning has just begun. Toll Free Numbers are going be serving a parallel universe for quite some time.

See Part 1 Here!

A Real Eye Opener!

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in Transition

A workshop on the PSTN in Transition was held Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at the Federal Communication Commission, 9am Eastern. A replay is available on line. A second, all day workshop is scheduled for December 14, 2011.

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This IP Telephony transition will have great impact on the world of toll free numbers and services. Local callers are the clients of our toll free services, and their interface limits functionality. Most still use touch-tone phones despite having an on-premise VOIP.

 

It was striking at first that this FCC meeting on the PSTN in Transition would open with public safety, disability access, and rural access issues, but once the presentations began it all became clear.

 

Indeed, it was explicitly stated: " The primary mission of the PSTN is first response, not IP Telephony," so let's awake from this vision of sugar plum fairies dancing on our enum handsets anytime soon. Clearly, it's the steak, not the sizzle that will slowly drive the transition from PSTN to an all IP-based phone system. 

 

The thinking by public safety experts is that this "Next Generation" will be wireless, although the current cellular networks are not hardened nor configured for high reliability. Experts envision a fully interoperable "LTE over IP network" where first responders will retain robust access during emergencies while other calls -- our calls, for example -- will be, well, "dropped on the floor."

 

From the disabilities perspective, not so quick. Wireline holds significant advantages over wireless and VOIP, like voice quality, high reliability, no battery charging, ready dial-tone, access to audio directory assistance, tactile keys, and a well-understood user interface. 

 

A move to IP Telephony would be the single biggest change since the transition away from live operators in the 1920's, a time when the phone company came around to schools to teach kids how to dial phones.

 

Julius Genachowski, Chairman, FCC, reminded the group that we don't want to lose any of the benefits the PSTN currently offer. Further, he noted, that it was the "universialization" of the telephone system that drove economic success in the 50's, 60's and beyond and that this next transition will not move seamlessly without planning, planning which has barley begun.

 

What's new this time is the IP transition will not be ushered in by a monolithic phone company, but by private competitors with proprietary interests. To say this will be like herding cats would be kind. This will be more like herding wolves and sheep and then leaving them alone-- somebody's going to have a bad night!

 

While not as sexy, it is public safety issues along with disability and rural access that will drive the timeframe required to deploy an IP-based telephone network, not deadlines and dreams of visual telephony dancing in our heads.

 

The good news is that the vision is clear and shared by all; we will be moving to an IP based system.

 

Someday.

See Part II Here!

1-800 Main Street

With the rush of capture 855 numbers last month, what better time than now to put this new toll free code in perspective.

To be sure, all toll free numbers are functionally equivalent. That means whether you have an 800, 888, 877, 866, or 855 number, they all work the same.

Yet, there are remarkable differences in perception and, when it comes to marketing, perception matters. If you’ve been around the toll free world very long, you’ve undoubtedly heard someone say, “My 800 number is 888-782-….” Or, “We have an 800 port request for 877-456-…”  The point here is that “800” is the original toll-free code and – like a “.com” for Internet domains – “800” has become generic for toll-free, and the public uses toll-free and 800 interchangeably. 

Next up was the 888 exchange which not only looks special – given the triple 888 – but was afforded a great deal of a public attention when 800 numbers were replicated in the 888 code and even more when there was talk of auctioning off the replicated 888 numbers. Despite their added publicity and being in-use since 1996, if 800 numbers are “Main Street,” 888’s are still a second level address. Damn nice, but second best.

While 800 and 888 are clearly unique and well known, the rest, 877, 866, and the new 855 numbers, are all confusingly similar to local exchanges and are not universally known to be toll-free numbers. Each of these subsequent toll free codes have at least one active area code that is just a digit off, 877 has 878 (Pittsburg overlay), 866 has 868 (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) , and 855 has 858 (North County, San Diego), for example, but there are others.

In addition, there was virtually no publicity surrounding the opening of 877, 866, and – as many of you have seen first hand -- the 855 code, so it should come as no surprise that it’s been an uphill battle to win over the hearts of minds of the public-- especially at a time when being “toll-free” has lost any real significance.

In effect, everyone knows that 800 numbers are toll free, and most people know that 888 numbers are as well. Yet, the others are just as likely to be confused with the generic 800 version when the requisite “toll free” label is applied, as they are to be confused with local, geographical exchanges.

To put this graphically, imagine a multi-level building with the street-level, retail 1-800 store open to main street, while the other codes occupy upper levels at the same address. Anyone dialing a “toll free” address is likely to gloss over the actual code and wander into the 800 store,  i.e. dial the 800 version. This confusion exists despite adding the label “toll free” which, by necessity, keys the caller that the published number is not just some out-of-state, local exchange.

When it comes to marketing, these shortcomings make it preferable to use 800 numbers whenever possible to target new customers, i.e. prospecting. What you never want to do is advertise an upper-level address, only to drive prospects to a direct competitor in the retail, 800 space below.

Yet, upper level addressing may be perfectly fine for customer care and other functions where customers are compelled to find you. Here, even if they wander into the main street location, they’ll keep searching.

The bottom line; Neighbors matter.



Shark Attack!

"Joey" could not contain his inner shark when he heard National A-1 –- the call center companion to Primetel -- was raided last week, reportedly as a result of Escorts.com, a site, like Craig’s List, that may have been abused by prostitutes under the pretense of running escort services.

Mr. Bill Quimby, in an article naively published by the Philadelphia Inquirer and on Philly.com, promotes Mr. Quimby’s illusion that this prostitution inquiry will somehow affect the toll free industry. In it, he states that, “They’re more mafia-like than any organization I’ve seen or heard,” and -- most strikingly -- accuses Primetel of criminal fraud, “They forge paperwork, yank numbers; they don’t care what other people think about them."

If you’re looking for a “national expert” on how to “forge paperwork, yank numbers,” then Joey “The Shark” Quimby is your man. His lashing out at National A-1 has all the moral authority of Bernie Madoff accusing others of running Ponzi schemes.  

Mr. Bill Quimby has over 300 documented "yanks" this year alone, and over 1,000 in recent years. To put this activity into perspective, Mr. Bill Quimby’s “yanked” more than twice as many numbers with than the 5 major carriers combined, in their normal course of business, specifically, AT&T (9), Sprint (31), Verizon (3), Qwest (86), and Global Crossing (3).

While these major carriers manage millions of numbers, Mr. Bill Quimby manages around 30,000, many of which are brazenly for sale as “premium numbers” on his website -- instantly delivered (read that as illegally warehoused).  In the same period, Primetel (19) executed about a dozen and a half SMS-10’s, while managing over 2 million numbers.

 The toll free oversight committee, SNAC, has called for the investigation of Mr. Bill Quimby and others who abuse the SMS-10 process, and DSMI banned the use of SMS-10’s for number in transitional status, reportedly to block the late-night seizures by Mr. Quimby, almost always on the very night the disconnected numbers would have, otherwise, gone spare. In effect, Mr.Bill Quimby’s “cutting in line” service was depriving the public of any chance at these numbers. His published fees for this “service” were just under $1,000, so it would be reasonable to assume that Mr. Quimby “earned” over a quarter of a million dollars this year alone by allegedly hijacking toll-free numbers in the dark of night.

Mr. Bill Quimby contends that his “cutting in line” service obtains the signatures of the rightful subscribers. Funny, though, that these “old customers,” always seem to sign documents on the day their numbers go spare – hundreds purportedly have – always around 7-9 PM, Eastern. Right!

We don’t buy Mr. Quimby’s contention. After witnessing first hand his late night seizure of 1-800-Go-Power with forged paperwork, we learned for a fact he never contacted the rightful subscriber. There have been many similar reports. If you have a documented incident of fraud to share, please contact us at tollfree@800.net. Remember, the subscribers right of privacy does not extend to 3rd parties commiting wire fraud, so there's no legal requirement to hide forged paperwork.

It is essential to note that Mr. Quimby’s seizures have recently come to a halt because he’s been spooked by the potential of an investigation– not because of this ban on “yanking” numbers in transitional status. More to the point, if he had been legally rescuing numbers for the rightful subscribers, why would he stop? Mr. Bill Quimby could have easily got around the ban by recovering disconnected numbers two days earlier in the cycle, when they are typically in disconnect status, had he really had “old customers” signing legitmate documents. We believe that the true nature of his "cutting in line" service is self-evident.

At any rate, Mr. Bill Quimby's public attacks on Primetel were unwarranted and untruthful, and are especially insidious coming from someone who has made, “yanking” numbers an art form. From our considerable experience, it is uncharacteristic for "Primetel" to "yank" toll free numbers, certainly not without the legal paperwork.

Finally, the Philly.com article also relays a story of a New York businessman, Jan Uzzo, whos number was reported "taken," by Primetel.  More likely, it was picked up by Primetel. Usually, numbers are lost after they've been disconnected for non-payment, and drop spare. Sadly, once numbers go spare they are unretrievable, so Uzzo's comments may be a result of misplaced anger.  If anyone knows Mr. Uzzo, please encouage him to contact us at TollFree@800.net and we will be glad to run a history on the toll free number in question.

DSMI terminates portability!

On April 4, 1997 the aging period for disconnected toll-free numbers was reduced from 6 month to 4 months, as a conservation measures. On July 23, 2010, DSMI and the SMS/800 Help Desk inexplicably terminated subscriber rights during this 4-month aging period.

According to the July 23rd CSB Notification, "Effective immediately, the SMS/800 Help Desk will no longer perform Resp Org Changes on numbers in a Transitional status, as there is no customer of record."

"No customer of record?" ....Huh?

Based on this unilateral directive -- there was no FCC mandate-- your RespOrg can now forego a disconnect announcement and go directly to transition status -- think AT&T, the company that does this on every number -- and your rights as a subscriber are terminated on the first day of disconnection!

Sure you can still reclaim your numbers, but only through your existing RespOrg. Your portability rights have been unilaterally terminated.

That means if you have a billing dispute -- even an unreasonable one -- your RespOrg once again has the ultimate leverage to spare or reconnect your numbers at their discretion. It's pre-1993 all over again!

In the eyes of DSMI, there will be no relief from the Help Desk, the venue of last resort, as YOU have been banished as "customer of record." What were they thinking!!??

DSMI was contacted, but declined to comment.

Stay tuned. This is bound to get ugly!