Service Description
BellSouth's Wireless E911 NORTEL Solution is a DMS switch software-based program that call help wireless service providers meet FCC Phase I compliance requirements.
BellSouth's Wireless E911 Solution delivers both the geographic location information of the cell site/sector handling the 911 call and the wireless caller's callback number to a public Safety Answering Point. Using a software solution developed by NORTEL, the Public Safety Answering Point is supplied with all the information needed to provide Emergency 911 service for wireless callers.
BellSouth's Professional Services group can manage the implementation process involved in establishing an E911 solution.
Benefits
The BellSouth solution provides the fastest path to compliance. Because it's software-based, the Wireless E911 solution eliminates the need to purchase separate hardware or work with a third party.
Further, Wireless Service Providers can meet FCC Mandated requirements without the need for local Public Safety Answering Point upgrades of Customer Premise Equipment at this time. This means carriers can move forward in gaining compliance regardless of the status of individual PSAP upgrades.
The BellSouth E911 NORTEL Solution is easily upgradeable to meet FCC Phase II requirements of providing the latitude and longitude, or X-Y coordinates, to the PSAP. The only physical network element carriers will need to order is the Type 2C Feature Group D trunks from the Mobile Switching Center to the BellSouth DMS E911 Tandem.
Service Design
The BellSouth option accepts featured group D signaling from wireless carriers and uses a Nortel software solution to provide required information to the appropriate public safety answering point.
Here is a detailed description of how a call is processed by the BellSouth solution:
- The process starts when a wireless subscriber needing assistance dials 9-1-1.
- The 9-1-1 digits are received at the wireless service provider's Mobile Switching Center.
- The Mobile Switching Center determines which Cell Site/Sector is handling the 911 call and sends the appropriate Pseudo ANI (pANI), along with the Wireless Subscribers ANI (WS ANI), which identifies the call back number, to the BellSouth E911 Tandem as a Feature Group D-like signal over dedicated Type 2C FG-D trunks.
- The NORTEL Software in the E911 Tandem sends the WS ANI and pANI information to the twin ALI databases over dedicated data links.
- The NORTEL software also sends the voice and pANI to the BellSouth E911 Tandem Selective Router as a CAMA signal. The E911 Tandem selective router routes the call to the appropriate PSAP based upon the ESN contained in the selective routing table for the specific pANI that is being processed. The voice and pANI are sent over dedicated EM trunks between the E911 Tandem SR and the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
- The PSAP equipment then queries the ALI databases for the record of the pANI that it has received. This query is accomplished across twin, dedicated data links from the PSAP to the ALI database.
- The ALI database matches the pANI with the appropriate cell site location record and incorporates the WS ANI, representing the wireless subscribers callback number, into the response sent back to the PSAP.
- The process is completed as the PSAP attendant sees the Wireless Subscribers callback number and the street address representing the location of the Cell Site/sector where the call originated on the display at their position.
Availability & Pricing
The BellSouth E911 NORTEL Solution will be implemented in a phased approach as each DMS E911 tandem is upgraded with the NORTEL software and the remaining 1A ESS E911 Tandems are re-homed into DMS E911 Tandem switches.
The BellSouth E911 NORTEL Solution is available as a tariffed offering. Phase 1 of this service is currently available.
Once the decision has been made to use the BellSouth solution, Type 2C trunks must be ordered to connect a carrier's Mobile Switching Center to the E911 Tandem. Type 2C trunks are currently available via the special assembly process. For pricing information, please contact your BellSouth account team.
Note: ALI Database work will be required to implement the BellSouth E911 NORTEL Solution.
Wireless Service Providers (WSPs) face an extremely complex process when implementing interconnection for Wireless E911 Phase I compliance. WSPs will be responsible for the following activities in coordinating Wireless E911 interconnection on their own:
- Coordination with the E911 County/Parish Coordinators and PSAP's to determine Cell Site identification, mapping, addressing requirements and Cell Site/PSAP routing based on ESN assignments received from the County/Parish coordinators and PSAP's
- All cost recovery issues with the E911 County/Parish Coordinators and PSAPs.
- Establishment of the ALI database records for the Pseudo ANI numbers representing the Cell Site/Sector handling the 911 calls. This is coordinated with SCC Communications in Boulder, Colorado, the contracted vendor responsible for BellSouth's ALI Databases.
- Coordination with the BellSouth Wireless Account Team for ordering and provisioning of the required Type 2C trunks between the WSP's Mobile Switching Center and the BellSouth E911 Tandem.
- If the WSP uses the 3rd party vendor solution, the WSP must coordinate with the 3rd party vendor all activities surrounding the interface between the WSP Mobile Switching Center and the vendor's SCP platform. This may include additional data base activity unique to the vendor.
- If the WSP purchases their own signal conversion hardware, the WSP must order, through their Interexchange Carrier of choice, the twin data links required to connect their signal conversion hardware to the BellSouth ALI data bases. This also requires close coordination of the installation of the data links with the IXC and the BST IXC ACAC, as well as the BellSouth data centers for the ALI computers.
- Coordination of all call through testing with the WSP's field forces, as well as with the E911 County/Parish coordinators.
