*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 36798*
 Remarks  of  Jonathan  S.  Adelstein 
 Commissioner,  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Solutions  Summit:  911/  E911  Issues  Associated  with  Internet-  based  Communications  Services 
 Federal  Communications  Commission  -  Washington,  DC  March  18,  2004 
 [As  prepared  for  delivery] 
 Good  afternoon.  First,  I  would  like  to  thank  the  Chairman  for  holding  this  summit  on  such  a  timely  basis.  It  is  a  great  opportunity  to  look  at  this  issue,  which  is  so  key  for  public  safety,  from 
 a  number  of  different  perspectives. 
 I  also  want  to  thank  our  excellent  panelists  for  taking  part. 
 I  see  a  number  of  familiar  faces  around  the  room  from  last  month’s  E911  Congressional  Caucus  Anniversary  event.  We  talked  then  about  how  much  is  being  accomplished  by  working  together 
 –  including  industry,  policy  makers,  and  the  public  safety  community.  We  will  need  that  level  of  collaboration  to  address  the  needs  of  emergency  services  over  Internet-  based  communications. 


 We  need  to  keep  a  spotlight  on  this  issue,  and  I  am  glad  we  are  doing  that  today.  There  is  no  higher  calling  or  higher  priority  for  us  at  the  Commission  than  improving  911  and  E911  services. 
 When  dealing  with  new  technologies  like  VoIP,  we  cannot  let  public  safety  concerns  slip.  This  summit  is  one  of  many  steps  we  should  take  to  keep  the  spotlight  on  it. 
 There  is  a  big  upside.  Internet-  based  communications  like  VoIP  may  open  up  new  emergency  response  and  medical  monitoring  services  that  do  not  exist  today.  But  we  must  be  sure  it  does 
 not  undermine  the  important  work  industry,  the  public  safety  community,  and  the  Commission  are  already  doing  to  enhance  emergency  services  for  the  benefit  of  consumers  and  our  national 
 security  through  the  continued  rollout  of  E911  service. 
 That  is  why  I  paid  particular  attention  to  the  public  safety  section  of  the  VoIP  Notice  that  was  released  the  other  day.  The  item  does  a  good  job  in  discussing  how  IP-  enabled  services  provide 
 an  opportunity  for  technological  improvements  that  may  enhance  the  capabilities  of  PSAPs  and  first  responders.  But,  I  am  concerned  about  consumers  and  their  expectations  for  911  with  those 
 Internet-  based  communications  that  function  just  like  plain  old  telephone  service.  I  worked  hard  to  tighten  this  section  of  the  Notice,  and  I  look  forward  to  hearing  all  of  your  thoughts  about  the 
 role  of  911  in  IP-  enabled  voice  communications. 
 I  appreciate  the  arguments  that  allowing  VoIP  to  develop  free  of  any  regulatory  constraints  would  encourage  its  development.  And  we  certainly  need  to  remain  mindful  of  the  privacy 
 implications.  On  the  other  hand,  we  must  make  certain  that  such  “hands  off”  treatment  doesn’t  mean  we  are  undercutting  the  safety  of  consumers.  We  have  got  to  carefully  balance  these 
1
 considerations.  Given  how  far  this  technology  has  developed  already,  we  cannot  afford  to  just  sit  back  and  watch. 
 And  I  am  very  glad  the  VON  Coalition  and  NENA  have  already  reached  an  agreement  for  dealing  with  911  as  VoIP  continues  to  be  deployed.  We’ve  got  to  get  the  regulatory  structure 
 right  from  the  start  and  find  solutions  together  to  ensure  that  emergency  services  continue  to  be  rolled  out  as  quickly  as  possible,  whether  circuit  or  IP-  based.  With  leadership  like  the  folks  here 
 in  the  room  today,  I  am  certain  we  can  get  the  job  done. 
2