Report: AT&T, Skype still carping about mandatory E911

Today's Enterprise VoIPPlanet.com has a resourcefully reported story that would make it appear that AT&T and Skype are not entering the era of mandated VoIP E911 all that willingly.

Reporter Sean Michael Kerner has obtained letters to the FCC from AT&T and Skype that reinforce that notion.

"'AT&T would need to have access to all other selective routers in the country in order to provide nationwide E911 for its (AT&T CallVantage) customers,'" Kerner quote AT&Ts letter to the FCC as saying.

He adds that the letter further articulates AT&T CallVantage's difficulties with quick E911 enablement to all its subscribers:

"'If the Commission were to order AT&T and other VoIP providers to provide E911 service where selective router access is the only solution and where such access does not exist today, it would be tantamount to ordering the discontinuance of service to existing customers outside of AT&T's CLEC footprint and limiting availability of AT&T CallVantage Service solely to those customers located in AT&T's local footprint.'"

And Skype? They write letters to the FCC, too.

Essentially, Skype's point is because an IP address only provides "'the most general sense of a user's location,'" the FCC should excuse Skype from an E911 access mandate - and enforce that provision only for fixed-line wireless phone services.

What do you make of AT&T's and Skype's points? Valid, stalling for time, or reluctant to make the investment in E911? TalkBack to us.