VoIP and ENUM

Vint Cerf: in the morning still posting on Jeff's blog under the heading: Guest Blogger: Vint Cerf, SVP Technology Strategy, MCI about the US ENUM Trial, in the evening already with Google - see Reuters: Google hires 'father of the Internet' Vinton Cerf. Boy, things are moving fast now-a-days.

I do not want to comment on this, others will do and do already. I will comment on Vint Cerf's statement on Jeff's blog regarding the letter of the USG on the US ENUM Trial, because I am very worried.

Vint ends with:

I congratulate Karen Mulberry and her colleagues and thank Ambassador Gross, and his colleagues in the USG for their support and encouragement.

I fully agree with the first part of this sentence, but I have some serious doubts with the second part of this sentence. Of course Ambassador Gross encourages progress on the trial in the letter, but he also clearly states:

...NTIA further outlines eight principles that continue to form the policy basis for the U.S. ENUM implementation. It was based upon these principles that the informational package was reviewed by the Department of State, the Federal Communications Commision, the NTIA, and the Federal Trade Commission and that the attached terms and conditions where developed.

Ok, now I see why the whole issue took so long, the NTIA 8 principles where formulated in in 2003!

These terms and conditions are designed to ensure ..... Thus, in order for the U.S. Government to approve the trial, each of these conditions must be met.

Now, what are these famous Terms and Conditions for a U.S. Trial of ENUM? - In short:

1. The ENUM LLC SHALL provide a trial plan framework that details the concepts and technologies that will be tested - ok, this makes sense.

2. This plan MUST be submitted prior to the commencement of the trial to the USG. The ENUM LCC MAY modify the trial plan, but MUST notify the USG, which may reject it - because WE are the experts.

3. Prior to ... the ENUM LLC MUST also provide a copy of the admin procedures for the delegation of phone numbers to the USG.

4. Prior to ... the ENUM LCC MUST apply to the FCC for approval of an assignement of numbers from NPA's in the U.S. for use in the trial. These numbers may be distribited to U.S. trial participants, but NOT to end-users or consumers not affiliated with the trail participants. Use of any other U.S. numbers is verboten. - Hey, what about end-user opt-in?

5. Use of other numbers is verboten.

6. The ENUM LLC will not permit the testing of carrier or infrastructure ENUM in e164.arpa during the trial period - Why? What is the problem? No end-user opt-in, no carrier ENUM, what is tested here? That the DNS and a registry works?

7. ENUM LCC will prove, at a minimum, a monthly progress report, containg all participants and numbers and basically any bit moved around. - Yes, everybody will be kept busy writing and reading, or at least shredding, reports. When will they do testing? And what means at a minimum? Do they want really a weekly, daily or hourly report? The USG must have lots of spare time.

8. And of course a final report - Ok, this makes sense again.

9. The ENUM LLC will PROMPTLY provide, upon request, information regarding all numbers contained in the Tier 1A. - Ok, this is easy, thery is no numbers in Tier 1A at all.

Hey guys, hello, take it easy, keep cool, this is ONLY a TRIAL, limited in time, what is going on here? This is not the dykes in New Orleans.

The funny thing with this U.S. ENUM Trial is that the major task of the testing consists of the proof that the DNS and a domain name registry really works. Ok, there is some new bits and nits related to numbering and ENUM, but that has already tested elsewhere. It would save the ENUM LCC and the USG a lot of time and effort if some guys from Austria are flewn-in to give them a crash course for a week or so. I could provide you with the contacts.

And why is Carrier ENUM not allowed? At the IETF 63 in Paris nearly every US Carrier stated both in voipeer and enum WG that Carrier ENUM is required, now.

With this decision and if I take all these terms and conditions together, both User ENUM and Carrier ENUM will go nowhere in the U.S. within the next year or so and both are therefore also doomed elsewhere.

I really do not understand why Vint Cerf is congratulating the USG to this wise decision, support and encouragement. I see it the other way round.

Or did I misunderstand and he is meaning this ironically?

Vint, do you think you would able to create the Internet today with such terms and conditions?