Mobile IP phones will be the same as everything else. For different roaming areas you'll get a different IP address and the services will be handled that way. I think someone will come out with it as soon as they figure out how to put together a worldwide network that will support it. I don't think the internet is fast enough nor robust enough to handle a phone network on top of it. This is just my oppinion. -----Original Message----- From: Jeff Shultz [mailto:jeffshultz@wvi.com] Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 2:50 PM To: nanog@merit.edu Subject: Re: How relable does the Internet need to be? (Was: Re: Converged Network Threat) ** Reply to message from Petri Helenius <pete@he.iki.fi> on Fri, 27 Feb 2004 21:19:48 +0200

Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu wrote:

...

20 years ago, 911 was able to say "unless you're the rare beast with a cell phone, basing it on the physical service address that the copper runs to would probably work alright in 99% of the cases".

Let's not make the same mistake again.

So all IP phones should be outside of buildings and equipped with GPS or Galileo receivers?

Pete

Does anyone actually offer a mobile IP phone service yet? Does anyone plan to? With Vonage you have to tell them where you are located so they can set your 911 service up to the proper 911 center. With cell phones it's based on the cell it comes into. If some sort of truly mobile IP based phone comes in, I'd guess that the provider is going to have to set it up to where the local router (or associated VOIP device) "listens" to the VOIP traffic for a 911 call, intercepts it and sends it to the local 911 center - my presumption is that they'll have to have a router of some sort in the local area to handle the mobile IP traffic. The GPS idea isn't a bad one either - since I think most new cell phones are coming out with this (it's been mandated, right?) it's a cheap addition and can be used by whatever the router redirects the call to for a better determination of the call center if the phone has the info. The easier solution would probably be for the "mobile IP phone service" to set it up as a dynamic address thing, where the phone number is assigned to the MAC address and the system updates a central index of what IP address is currently serving what phone number. And by whatever "DHCP" server assigned the address, that would be used to determine the 911 center most appropriate. As for the varied emergency numbers used throughout the world and such... if you are visiting a foreign country, take the time to figure out what the local (national) emergency numbers are. Much easier than an overly complex technological solution. Or add an "emergency" button on the phone that will send a signal that the switch will read as whatever the national emergency number is. Experience here: last summer I was at Ft. Campbell, KY, and a friend and I drove on the local interstate down to Nashville - when you get on the Interstate there you are in Tennesse, then you are in Kentucky for a short period (a few miles) and then back to Tennesse. I had to call 911on my cell for an accident and was connectted to a 911 center in Tennesee... but since I was on the Kentucky stretch of freeway they had to transfer me over to the local Kentucky 911 center. No problem. I suspect that as long as the VOIP 911 thing can get you "close" to the correct 911 center, they'll be able to handle the rest of the switching needed. And realistically - that's probably a better solution than trying to come up with an overly complex technological solution. These are supposed to be phones after all, not "dumb" ELT devices. Let the OT rants begin.... -- Jeff Shultz Loose nut behind the wheel.