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

FCC's Powell supports the new ENUM standard for mapping phone and Internet numbers that could pave the way for IP voice services.

by Mark Berniker of internetnews.com [February 18, 2003]

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 known 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 an endorsement of Internet-based telephony, which despite speculation of dramatic growth has failed to catch on widely with consumers.

The FCC and the State and Commerce Departments have said they are insisting on 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.

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