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Verizon has announced on its NEBS website, www.verizonnebs.com , that it has finished its review of GR-1089-CORE Issue 3, October 2002, “Electromagnetic Compatibility and Electrical Safety – Generic Criteria for Network Telecommunications Equipment, and will now use that version standard for assessing NEBS EMC and safety compliance. Verizon’s announcement notes two items in the application of Issue 3:
This aligns Verizon’s EMC requirements more closely with those of most other RBOCs, who earlier shifted from Issue 2 to Issue 3.
Copies of GR-1089-CORE Issue 3 can be ordered from Telecordia at:
http://telecom-info.telcordia.com
The FCC has made clear its intention to foster the growth of new broadband-based services, and particularly Voice Over Internet Protocol telephony. A new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM (FCC 04-28), showcases the FCC’s intention to support but regulate a wide range of internet services.
There is a lot at issue here. If VoIP, or similar services which mix the delivery and transport services of the internet with those of the telephony system were considered as telecommunications services, they would be subject to the host of taxes and regulatory restrictions that apply to established telephony providers. On the other hand, if unregulated and untaxed, these new services will be free to grow, but they might eat into the business of existing telecom providers or unfairly take advantage of their investment plant by not paying their fair share for using the PSTN.
The FCC, led by Chairman Powell, has at least for now decided to foster the growth of VoIP and other new services. Several petitioners involved in VoIP ventures have petitioned the FCC for a decision in this matter. In the specific case of Pulver’s Free World Dialup service, which provides end-to-end IP telephony without any interaction with the PSTN the FCC has taken the position that this is an “information service” rather than a telecommunications service. There are other services where the division between “information service,” “information service with telecommunications features”, or plain old “telecommunications service” may be harder to delineate.
The VoIP sweepstakes isn’t limited only to small players, either on the service or the hardware sides. VoIP and related services are taking many forms. A number of wireline and wireless operators, cable operators, and non-telecom hardware/software vendors are becoming involved. These include AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Time-Warner, Qwest, and Cisco.
The stakes are high, and haven’t escaped Congressional notice. The FCC’s Chairman has testified before Congress on the matter, arguing that light regulation will foster growth, and in any event, the problem must be faced, as heavy regulation would simply drive suppliers of new services overseas, out of FCC jurisdiction. Opinions on the degree of regulation that is appropriate are not unanimous. For example, in a recent Congressional hearing, Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander worried that light VoIP regulations would place an unfair burden on states by harming their ability to raise tax revenues. State public utility commission regulators have also taken an interest, and some have instituted divergent regulatory approaches, a problem the FCC would like to minimize.
As the NRPM points out that, the issue is one of tremendous complexity. The FCC discusses the classification of IP services, their interaction with the existing PSTN network, the legal situation, and the need for consumer protection and public safety. Comments are solicited from industry participants to help the FCC decide what regulations are appropriate, and for which types of services. Some of the issues discussed include:
What service classifications are appropriate, and what types of regulation should be provided
The breadth of service types emerging that this NPRM addresses: e.g., peer to peer file networks, VPNs (virtual private networks, both with and without voice), hybrid PSTN/IP/Cable/satellite networks, networks with custom IP telephone equipment versus those using standard telephony endpoints; voice communications merging with internet chat programs; distributed versus centralized services, and much more
How to compensate PSTN operators for mixed services where the IP VoIP vendor is using PSTN access as part of the service.
What to do about disabled access to proliferating new services
How to incorporate 911 and E911 functionality into IP based services
It is clear that the FCC intends to act, and that a lot of structure is going to develop around these services. The NPRM, however, is at present requesting comments and information, and does not yet tip the FCC’s hand as to the form its regulations will take.
The FCC has tagged Samson Technologies, an importer, with a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for importing and marketing equipment that does not meet the Part 15 radiated emissions limits. The proposed fine is $35,000, calculated on the basis of $7000 for each model of equipment involved. (Action FCC 04-39).
The equipment in question consisted of five different models of a multi-track music recording device. The FCC discovered the problem because of a complaint to the Office of Engineering and Technology. Upon investigation, it was found that the equipment had been verified to meet the Class A emissions limits, but not the stricter Class B requirements. Unfortunately, Samson was marketing the equipment to the general public for residential use. Equipment for residential use are Class B Digital Devices.
The effective penalty will be greater than just the fine. Samson has agreed to contact its distributors; discontinue marketing further units of the models in question; and repack and reship remaining inventory back to the manufacturer. Further, it has agreed with the FCC that it will no longer import or market any Class A digital devices; in the future, it will only import and market devices meeting the Class B technical standards.
Which Safety Standard Would You Apply to This Product?
Worries over crime, including car-jacking, led South African inventor Charl Fourie to invent the Blaster, a car-attached flamethrower. Reportedly, the 3,900 rand option (about $650) throws a man-high fireball out both sides of the car—without damaging the car’s paint. In the month of its introduction, it was placed on 25 cars. Apparently it is legal, as South African law allows deadly force in self-defense.
The Blaster pipes liquefied gas from a trunk-mounted bottle to side-mounted nozzles, where it is ignited by electrical spark. What your editor wonders, though, is this: if you were the product safety engineer on this product, what standards would you apply?
… and now for something different. The sentimental among us will be saddened by the news that, for that eternally young thermoplastic couple, Mattel’s Ken and Barbie, there will be no Golden Anniversary. That’s right, kids. After 43 wonderful years, the plastic duo is together no longer. Barbie has dumped Ken, and taken up with Blaine, her new Aussie surfer toy.
How and why could this happen? Although generations of fans have wondered about their personal lives, Ken and Barbie have never actually spoken. Was Ken just too stiff for the fun-loving Barbie? Was the February 12th announcement of their split—a mere two days before Valentine’s Day--just a publicity stunt to garner attention for the new “Cali Barbie” model? Perhaps we’ll never know. Mattel simply stated that Ken and Barbie “need some quality time—apart,” and that Barbie and Ken “will always remain the best of friends.”
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