The US government has thrown its weight behind an emerging standard that could simplify personal communications by providing a single point of contact for telephone and Internet communications.
The Department of Commerce said yesterday it would support an electronic numbering system, known as ENUM, which would allow consumers to specify a single identifier for their telephone numbers, e-mail and instant messaging addresses, fax numbers and mobile phone numbers.
In a letter to the state department, assistant secretary of commerce Nancy Victory said the US should endorse the effort but work to ensure users` privacy and security will be protected and innovation and competition would be encouraged.
"The time has come for the US to be more active on this issue," Victory wrote. "We must ensure that ENUM can be implemented in a pro-consumer, secure and competitive manner."
Victory said the commerce department would work with the state department and the Federal Communications Commission to help set the network up.
ENUM has already won support from 13 other countries, and an international telecommunications body has been working to set standards on a global basis.
The specific ENUM standard, known as E.164.arpa, translates telephone numbers into Internet addresses and vice versa. For example, the telephone number 1-202-555-1234 would be expressed as an Internet address as 4.3.2.1.5.5.5.2.0.2.1.e164.arpa. Users would be spared typing all this out as Web browsers or advanced phones would likely automate the process.
Proponents say ENUM will simplify communications as one point of contact could be routed to a telephone, an e-mail inbox or a fax machine, depending on the application. The standard would also allow users to access Internet services through a telephone keypad.
The standard will play a key role as more telephone traffic travels over Internet networks. Many large companies already use Internet-based telephony to save on long-distance calls between far-flung offices, and ENUM could help the new technology overcome many hurdles, proponents say.
Share