[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46957-46958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-17956]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Notice, Roundtable on Convergence of Communications Technologies

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Department of Commerce

[[Page 46958]]


ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) will host a morning roundtable to address issues relating to the 
convergence of communications technologies, including the Telephone 
Number Mapping (ENUM) Protocol that facilitates convergence between the 
Internet and the public-switched telephone network. The roundtable will 
address how such convergence technologies function, alternatives to 
ENUM in the competitive marketplace, and policy issues including 
privacy and security that may arise with use of such convergence 
technologies.

DATES: The roundtable will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 
August 14, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The roundtable will be held at the U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., in Room 
4830. (Entrance to the Department of Commerce is on 14th Street between 
Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues.) The roundtable will be open to 
the public. To facilitate entry into the Department of Commerce, please 
have a photo identification and/or a U.S. Government building pass, if 
applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy Lader, Office of Policy Analysis 
and Development, NTIA, telephone (202) 482-1150, or electronic mail: 
[email protected]. Media inquiries should be directed to the Office 
of Public Affairs, NTIA, at (202) 482-7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Traditionally, different communications 
networks and services have required separate addresses or numbers, such 
as an e-mail address, a telephone number, a fax number, or a cell phone 
number. Convergence technologies, such as ENUM, Voice-over-IP, and 
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), now facilitate or promise to 
facilitate voice and other communications across these various 
architectures. ENUM, for example, is intended to map a telephone number 
from the public-switched telephone network (PSTN) to the Domain Name 
System (DNS) on the Internet. This mapping system may make it possible 
to reach a user via e-mail, fax, or phone using the standard telephone 
number (e.164 number) as the universal communications identifier.
    NTIA's morning roundtable will address issues regarding such 
convergence technologies. As the principal adviser to the President on 
telecommunications and information policies, NTIA is vested with 
``[t]he authority to conduct studies and make recommendations 
concerning the impact of the convergence of computer and communications 
technology'' 47 U.S.C. Sec. 902(M). The roundtable will explore the 
range of existing or developing convergence technologies, how they may 
be used, and their implications for consumer data privacy and security. 
This dialogue with leading U.S. experts in the field will help the U.S. 
government, among other things, prepare for discussions in 
international fora. Issues relating specifically to ENUM are currently 
being addressed in other venues, including the International 
Telecommunication Union, the Internet Engineering Task Force, and the 
ENUM Forum.
    To solicit views from selected roundtable participants, the morning 
roundtable will be divided into two parts. The tentative agenda is as 
follows:
    1 pm to 2:30 pm--Convergence Technologies: Their Viability and 
Utility in a Competitive Marketplace
    2:45 pm to 4:15 pm--Privacy, Security, Authentication, and other 
Policy Issues Relating to Convergence Technologies
    4:15 pm to 5 pm--Audience Question and Answer Session
    The first session will address such questions as: (1) how the 
various convergence technologies function, including results from 
existing testbeds; (2) possible applications of convergence 
technologies; (3) how ENUM or similar systems would be introduced and 
implemented in the U.S., including how such systems could open to 
competition; and (4) whether and how convergence technologies and 
systems can co-exist.
    The second session will address policy issues, particularly in the 
areas of privacy, security, and authentication, including: (1) what 
privacy measures might be necessary to protect individual data 
collected through the use of convergence technologies; (2) whether 
privacy protections are better left to the competitive marketplace or 
should be standardized; (3) what security precautions might be 
necessary to protect user data; and (4) what authentication and 
authorization requirements might be necessary to ensure the identity of 
the user.
    A final, updated copy of the agenda will be available on NTIA's 
webpage at http://www.ntia.doc.gov before the roundtable.
    PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: This meeting will be open to the public. 
Seating for public attendees is limited and is available on a first-
come, first-served basis. The roundtable will be physically accessible 
to people with disabilities. Any member of the public wishing to attend 
and requiring special services, such as sign language interpretation or 
other ancillary aids, should contact Wendy Lader at least three (3) 
days prior to the meeting via the contact information provided above.

    Dated: July 12, 2002.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-17956 Filed 7-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-S