ENUM-Development in Austria (ENUM Field Trial)

RTR has taken on a significant role in the introduction of ENUM in Austria. Our close observation of international ENUM activities prompted us to carry out a public consultation procedure in August 2001. In essence, ENUM is the mapping of telephone numbers to Internet domain names as well as the related additional functions arising in the course of convergence among conventional telephone networks and IP-based networks (Internet).

Due to growing international interest and the work of standards organizations (including the ITU, ETSI and European Commission) on technical and administrative issues related to ENUM, and against the backdrop of already active national ENUM forums in other countries, RTR held an "ENUM Forum Austria" event at its offices on February 11, 2002. The primary tasks in this process are to hold a broad-based discussion of possible ENUM implementation in Austria in order to identify potential problems and to work toward solutions. Finally, the necessity and extent of general legal regulations also have to be discussed.

On the basis of initial discussions in the "ENUM Forum Austria," a market participants' interest group has been created with the aim of carrying out a nationwide ENUM trial. RTR has supported this initiative by providing the administrative and technical structures necessary for this trial at the highest national level. In particular, this has included our application for delegation of the national ENUM domain "3.4.e164.arpa", which was also supported by the National Telecommunications Authority in the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology and was completed successfully by RIPE NCC's official delegation of the domain in June 2002. Therefore, this RFC 2916-compliant ENUM domain is available for the trial participants. As the domain name holder, RTR has been assigned administrative responsibility for the national ENUM Tier 1 registry. The responsibility for technical issues was delegated to NIC.AT, the Austrian domain name administrator, for the duration of the ENUM trial. From RTR's
perspective, one focus area is that of ensuring the integrity of the E.164 number range and the parallel ENUM domains. RTR has thus compiled a "Memorandum of Understanding for the ENUM Field Trial in Austria" ("RTR General Terms and Conditions V1.0.pdf", see the attached document below) containing provisional regulations with regard to this and other issues. The ENUM MoU is to be signed by ENUM Tier 1 and Tier 2 trial partners prior to the start of trials.

In the course of preparing Austria's ENUM field trial, the trial partners agreed to set up a separate web site which provides relevant information on ENUM in general and on the ENUM field trial in Austria in particular, as well as additional links.

The Austrian ENUM Field Trial will be closed as of December 9th 2004 simultaneous by the start of the commercial ENUM phase at the same day. The trial fulfilled its task and brought off the basis to switch from the trial to a commercial phase.

RTR wants do thank all trial participants for the excellent work during the trial and the good outcome which allows the start of the commercial phase now.

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