MetaSwitch confirmed that customers of its Class 4/5 Softswitch are able to fully comply with all regulatory requirements in the recent FCC VoIP rulings. Specifically, more than 135 MetaSwitch systems deployed in the field already support CALEA and E911 emergency call routing features for both traditional wireline and VoIP subscribers, with no requirement for additional adjunct equipment.
The FCC's new rules requires any service provider offering VoIP connectivity to the PSTN to meet the requirements of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Carriers are also required to provide 911 emergency calling capabilities to all subscribers.
MetaSwitch's softswitch system delivers a full range of Class 4/5 features including the following capabilities:
- E911 call routing to multiple Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) over dedicated MF and/or SS7 trunks. MetaSwitch also has close partnerships with leading national providers to enable carriers to meet requirements for mobile VoIP location registration. A recently-published detailed Application Note is available to MetaSwitch users describing the implementation requirements.
- CALEA wiretap functions (to appropriately authorized users), fully conformant with the Telecommunications Industry Association's J-STD-025A specification. The MetaSwitch system provides the access point for both call content and call information, and supports concurrent intercept connectivity to multiple law enforcement agencies. MetaSwitch's implementation has been reviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), ensuring that it meets the requirement for "safe harbor" under the CALEA regulations.
- Access-agnostic services and signaling. MetaSwitch's standards-based universal network architecture supports just about every legacy and packet-based access protocol, including TDM (GR-303, PRI, T1/T3), VoATM (BLES), and VoIP (MGCP, PacketCable NCS, H.248 and SIP). Crucially, all switch services (including E911 and CALEA) are available to all subscribers, whatever the access technology used.
