Here We Go Again
An Op-Ed Editorial from Dr. Z
Sorenson has filed a petition with the FCC on August 4, 2009 to restrict providers from assigning phone numbers. On the surface, we can understand how it causes confusion, but theres’s a problem with the request coming from the largest service provider in the industry seeking to maintain or increase market share by suggesting such actions.
The request basically asks the FCC to do two things:
1) not assigning multiple phone numbers to a device
2) a videophone device shall be restricted to a single IP address
I can understand the rationale for the first request. It does cause confusion especially on callbacks, and more so in the event of public safety (911) situations.
I respectfully disagree with the second request. This is to lock down the market to protect their market share since they have a large share of the market already. There are technical solutions such as Z-Connect provided by ZVRS which allows incoming calls to ring to a specific device without the need for a second IP address. If the FCC rules on the second one, it will force every deaf and hard of hearing user with multiple videophones to request additional IP addresses from their cable company or phone company at additional expense. This is unnecessary if there are technical solutions out there that render this moot.
I find it interesting that they filed it right after the TDI convention, without the opportunity to feel anyone out at the TDI convention. There were quite a number of Sorenson executives at the conference and they did not make an effort to ask others what they thought of this. A market leader should be responsible enough to seek and solicit feedback on this, working with other service providers to find the best solution for the deaf and hard of hearing citizens, rather that trying to determine the direction by going to the regulatory agencies without industry feedback or consensus.
If you were a market leader, would you be doing this alone, or work with others to provide the best solution?
This is the link to Sorenson’s filing: