From nanog-bounces+bonomi=mail.r-bonomi.com@nanog.org Wed Oct 7 06:18:24 2009 Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:17:57 +0700 From: Dave Temkin <davet1@gmail.com> To: Alexander Harrowell <a.harrowell@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Dutch ISPs to collaborate and take responsibility Cc: nanog@nanog.org

Alexander Harrowell wrote:

...

On Wednesday 07 October 2009 00:27:55 Joe Greco wrote:

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Assuming that the existence of an infected PC in the mix translates to some sort of inability to make a 911 call correctly is, however, simply irresponsible, and at some point, is probably asking for trouble.

... JG

Also, someone mentioned that the FCC doesn't in fact mandate that PSTN terminals should be able to make emergency calls even if formally disconnected and asked about cellular.

The opposite is true about GSM and its descendants; whether or not you're a valid roamer for the network you're talking to, have a prepaid balance, have paid your bill, you must be able to make emergency calls. Similarly, even if no SIM card is present, the device should register with the network as "limited service" - i.e. emergency only.

The FCC generally doesn't come into play when you're talking about ILEC telephone service except at a very high level. In California, by PUC regulation telephone companies are required to allow access to 911 so long as there is copper in the facility and it was, at any time, active with any sort of phone service.

"Not exactly". They are required to do it only 'to the extent permitted by existing facilities'. To wit, if they need that wire pair to provide service (say, an additional line) to a paying customer, they _can_ physically disconnct the 'inactive account' premises, and hook up the new paying account to that pair. On occasion, telcos are known to re-use the pair, by just hooking the new customer onto it, _without_ pulling the bridge clips at the 'multiple' where the old custmer was connected. This leads to all sorts of messes. the 'non- customer' discovers dial-tone on the pair and starts using it. Calls are being made which the _real_ customer didn't make, which leads to real arguments with the billing department. Then, the customer picks up their phone, and instead of getting dial tone, discovers a conversation _in_progress_ on the line -- when _nobody_else_ at their place is on the phone. Strangely, the parties to that conversation refuse to identify themselves, and one of them is _really_ anxious to terminate that call, so you can use "your" line. I, personally, have been through this more than once, in older, high-density housing neighborhoods.