Alternative solutions for new E911 rules in 2020

[penguinpbx (C. Maj)]

@gregarican

specifics

Example #8 from ABC v16g highlights only slightly more functionality than what Sangoma’s Outbound Routes+Notifications+Paging configuration currently offers in regards to notifications - except - you’ll need to change some #XYZ# type variables and use Misc Destinations because ABC is not a "Free"PBX module…

;
; Example #8: Trolls auto-answer in half-duplex AKA "Page Group"
; --------------------------------------------------------------
; * In Tin Can Mode (Yes, Again)
; * Trolls only. They can not talk to anyone in the YURT.
; * Add "nosy" to troll if they should listen to call.
;   (Without "nosy" option they will just hear an announcement.)
; * Choose caller ID based on subnet ID.
; * Defaults to FreePBX emergency CID if no subnet override CID is found.

[from-internal-custom-abc-example-8]

exten => s,1,NoOp()
exten => s,n,NoOp(placeholder)
exten => s,n,Log(VERBOSE,Always Be Conferencing - PenguinPBX.com)
exten => s,n,Set(cidnum=${FILTER(0-9A-Za-z,${CALLERID(num)})})
exten => s,n,Set(defaultcallback=${DB(DEVICE/${cidnum}/emergency_cid)})
exten => s,n,Set(ABCTO=${CALLERID(DNID)})
exten => s,n,Set(path=SIP/${ABCTO}@#SIPTRUNK#)
exten => s,n,Set(troll1=SIP/#FRONTDESK-EXTENSION#)
exten => s,n,Set(troll2=SIP/#OVERHEADSPKR-EXTENSION#)
exten => s,n,Set(abctypename=sbnttrl)
exten => s,n,Set(pathringtime=120)
exten => s,n,AELSub(pngnpbx-abc-tincan,${abctypename})
exten => s,n,AELSub(pngnpbx-abc-path,1,${pathringtime},${path})
exten => s,n,AELSub(pngnpbx-abc-remote,${defaultcallback},subnet)
exten => s,n,AELSub(pngnpbx-abc-troll,1,${troll1},nosy)
exten => s,n,AELSub(pngnpbx-abc-troll,2,${troll2},)
exten => s,n,AELSub(pngnpbx-abc-howdy-yall)

…but by changing that first Troll to non-nosy, and removing the caller ID based on subnet ID, then I think the functionality would be pretty much the same for non-hot desking situations. (Maybe add another “path” for backup.)

@gregarican

any FCC representatives and/or legal resources

Short answer is yes, that bureaucratic ball is rolling along. What I’d really like in an upcoming ABC version is to be able to say “Example #10: Approved by Vogon Captain Jeltz”

BUT I AM NOT A LAWYER, and many State and Local governments mandarinate different approaches than what the Federal government is only just about to start doing this weekend on new installs. So this is an on-going effort, with very little case law - we are all working with eight week old FCC rules not yet tested in court. But I’m also talking with PSAP operators, trainers, first responders, NENA, etc., and reviewing their information. It is quite fascinating and IMO the entire industry is ripe for disruption. Asterisk is playing a role in this - see this job listing snippet:

Solution Architect - Telco Systems and Networking
Motorola Solutions Birmingham, Alabama, United States
7 days ago 

Qualifications:

* At least 5 years experience in telecommunication systems and networking
* Knowledge of Cat5, Cat6 and Fiber cabling including installation and troubleshooting
* Experience with SIP based communications with Asterisk

In that vein, maybe you’d like to help nominate me to the NENA NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission ?

@gregarican

I personally wouldn’t undertake

I personally don’t think the FCC is authorized by the US Constitution to even exist. But these two things in Kari’s Law seem somewhat reasonable:

@dicko

a) make the call to your chosen PSAP, b) bridge the call to other “interested parties”

Also I can help repeat this question…

@dicko

Sangoma, can you let please let us know exactly what your legal department thinks of where and what legal liabilities are involved for us by relying on your solution ?

…but if the answer is “yes, legal” to what Sangoma put out Monday, and in a slightly degraded mode ABC does basically the same thing, well if it quacks like a duck…

@BlazeStudios

Sangoma’s solution injects one line of dialplan code

This is on top of all the other processing that happens in the FreePBX dial plan to get you to that point. ABC side-steps much of this. So it might be the case that ABC is actually faster. I don’t know. It needs testing.

@BlazeStudios

It pages phones and allows them to Spy if answered.

ABC can do both and much, much more, at the same time.

In ABC, Trolls can be nosy or non-nosy. Nosy Trolls listen using mute-only ConfBridge. Non-nosy Trolls just hear an announcement eg. “922 call from 1234” and then it hangs up. This is highlighted in the Example #8 above.

This non-nosy option may be useful in some environments where it is prohibited to listen to the ongoing call, perhaps owing to two-party consent requirements in your locality, or other privacy concerns. (However, emergency calls to PSAPs are generally recorded without any sort of notification as I understand it - I was designing ABC to be more flexible, although adding the call recording beeps is on my TODO list for future versions.)

@BlazeStudios

I will have to look at it again. Based on a quick glance it doesn’t go to the conference bridge until after the PSAP answers

I agree. That is what ABC is designed to do in Tin Can Mode. The bridge only happens instantly with the caller when in Simple Mode.

@BlazeStudios

however, that still dumps the caller, Operator and N “friends” into the call. So it still can raise confusion and issues.

The confusion can be dealt with by training the Friends ahead of time.

I am not certain, but I think the same criticism can now be leveled against the Sangoma solution posted on their wiki from this other thread on the forum, when the Page is operating in Full-Duplex. Also if you do not specify any “Friends” in ABC, that is okay – it will work with just nosy Trolls listening in but unable to talk (again please see Example #8 above.)

From the Sangoma wiki:

You can set up Notifications on Outbound Routes by linking a page group to an outbound route. If a call is placed using that outbound route, the phones in the page group will be paged with an announcement of the extension number that made the call, and the number that was dialed. Assuming the page group’s Duplex option is set to No, the phones in the page group will then be injected into the call in a listen-only mode.

ABC only works full-duplex with “Friends” and always half-duplex with “Trolls”. But you can mix-and-match Friends, Trolls and Paladins on the same call flow. (Paladins get their own conf bridge spawned dynamically - the Palace - while Friends and Trolls stay in the Yurt.)

@BlazeStudios

the need to install a third party solution isn’t going to exist.

I don’t think that is how markets work. Also ABC does not require FreePBX. It works with Asterisk all by itself.

@BlazeStudios

How will the OP make his solution something people want to go after and use when many already have their needs covered?

I hope the discussion here brings focus to the differences between solutions. Each user is unique, with different needs. Maybe ABC is a better fit for some cases and not others. Up to you!

@BlazeStudios

How is the OP going to support this?

Anybody who can download ABC can theoretically provide support for it because it is Free Libre Open Source Software.

@gregarican

I just placed this in the extensions_custom.conf. Maybe that’s overly simplistic, so I’ll pass this by our legal team.

I would encourage offering up some of the ideas from ABC for discussion with your team and letting us know what you find out. ABC does support email notifications, but when I present the “it sends an email when you call 911” approach to lay-persons, particularly those with full inboxes, I invariably get back wry chuckles. But it is considered sufficient by many.

@gregarican

So I just converted them to Enhanced DID with my provider and assign their e911 location to specify their floor, room number, etc.

Although that choice is outside the scope of ABC, and yet totally compatible with ABC, this threat to privacy drives many of the decisions in ABC, specifically those related to Dynamic Location Routing. I do not consider it safe to pre-publish all of this previously un-published internal confidential company information. I do not think the map to critical infrastructure should always be turned on - and neither does any facility manager that requires you to turn off your cell phone before you walk in the door.

@gregarican

The total time it took to implement this was maybe an hour. Not sure why an over-engineered solution is required.

Liberty is hard.

@sorvani

SMS might meet the letter of the law, but I would never rely on it as the only thing.

ABC offers SMS/Email/Voicemail notification support using your existing voicemail.conf, in addition to the Conference Calls (Friends, Paladins) and Page (Troll) options.

@gregarican

But in the year 2020, if I were having an emergency and was physically able to communicate to someone, I don’t know why I wouldn’t just grab the phone in my back pocket.

Maybe archaic but the most accurate Dispatchable Location information is probably still that which is paired to a physical residential phone line from the local telephone company. For children or others without cell phones, it might be the best option.

Thanks y’all for the feedback!