ACMA moves on VoIP’s widespread Numbering Plan non-compliance
It’s simple. The Telecommunications Numbering Plan says that you must not allocate a standard telephone number to a VoIP service that can be simply relocated by the customer.
And you mustn’t allocate a standard telephone number to a service that doesn’t terminate in the local area the number is intended for.
It’s also simple for customers to bypass both rules, since the majority of VoIP providers couldn’t care less about breaking them.
A new ACMA discussion paper suggests that enforcement action may be on the way.
Non-compliance is no secret
Everybody in the game knows that it’s easy to obtain a Darwin number that really terminates in Melbourne or a Perth number that rings in Sydney. In fact, a VoIP provider that couldn’t service these requests would be regarded as useless by many customers.
How do you get a so-called ‘geographic number’ that isn’t tied to the location it’s nominally issued for ? Just phone a VoIP provider and ask. You’d be unlucky to strike one that declines.
ACMA research proves the point
In May and June 2008, ACMA checked out 46 Australian VoIP service providers and discovered (surprise, surprise) that all except one would provide service with an end user number that belonged to a different location.
Subscription processes for … these services were examined in detail. In all cases, except one, geographic numbers were issued to customers for locations other than the geographic location of the customer’s service. In the research a Clayton (Vic) based customer automatically received numbers from the Melbourne Standard Zone Unit (SZU), the Perth SZU and the Sydney SZU. A Ringwood (Vic) based customer was able to request numbers in Alice Springs, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. In addition, ACMA investigated a selection of the IPND records for these services. The results suggested further problems with non compliance.
ACMA has no evidence that would suggest the results for those providers not examined in detail would be markedly different. Rather the non compliance that this research identifies appears to be evidence of a systemic problem.
What’s ACMA going to do about it ?
First, educate
The discussion paper is partly intended to remind service providers of the Numbering Plan and its rules.
Second, reform
ACMA is considering regulatory changes that will clarify and perhaps simplify compliance.
For instance, one possibility under consideration is a ‘Small Provider Integrated Number System, (‘SPINS’) that would allow small service providers to obtain single telephone numbers from ACMA or an outsourced provider rather than by the current arrangement of sourcing number from an upstream provider.
SPINS would be a good outcome, but ACMA indicates it’s only an option if the industry registers broad support.
This would discipline number allocation by creating a direct link between small providers and ACMA. At present, many of them are invisible to ACMA, separated by upstream providers who share their numbering allocations with them.
Third, enforce
The discussion paper makes it clear that the Numbering Plan will ultimately be enforced, perhaps even by withdrawing numbers allocated to non-compliant service providers.
Comments on possible reforms are invited
Submissions must be received by ACMA by 28 February 2009.
Submissions must be sent to:
Manager Telecommunications Licensing Numbering and Subcables Section
Email numbering@acma.gov.au ; or
Mail Australia Communications and Media Authority
PO Box 13112, Law Courts
MELBOURNE VIC 8010
Our take on it
Based on its research findings, ACMA could have justified a ‘big stick’ response. But it has shown its support for a diverse VoIP market by taking a measured, cooperative approach.
However providers that are building a business on flouting the underlying principles of the Numbering Plan, and especially the rule that geographic numbers need to support services situated in the zones they are listed for, are ultimately doomed. They will be pulled out of service before too many months have passed.
Comments
2 Responses to “ACMA moves on VoIP’s widespread Numbering Plan non-compliance”
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Perhaps it time to look to the future, is there still a need for the current Numbering plan restrictions. VOIP providers are simply meeting customer needs. Who is disadvantaged by non geographic numbers? Calls to and from these numbers are paid for and the transport of the calls as data is also paid for. Perhaps it time to review the need for STD charging and make Australia one local call zone
The rule that numbers must be associated with a location is a legacy anachronism going back to hard-wired mechanical exchanges. Isn’t it time the ACMA got over it? What about number portability? What about VoIP on mobile Internet?
Any (experienced) database designer will tell you never build intelligence into the primary key. It will always break and then need Mickey Mouse rules to try to recover. All ACMA needs is a simple (public?) lookup table to associate numbers with a location/ locations/ mobile, ditch the numbering plan and periodic updates, and they can free themselves, the industry and users from unnecessary cost and hassles.