GSMA to Pilot a Carrier ENUM Service for Mobile Operators

NeuStar, Inc. (NYSE:NSR) announced today that the GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association for mobile operators, is preparing to pilot a service that will simplify the transmission of instant messages, MMS, emails, video and other Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications between mobile phones and between mobile and fixed-line phones.
Following a competitive evaluation process, the GSMA has selected the clearinghouse and directory services provider NeuStar to manage the service on the GSMA's behalf.

Based on a Carrier ENUM approach, the GSMA, operators and NeuStar will pilot a Number Resolution Service (NRS) that automatically translates a phone number into an IP-based address, making it simple for users to initiate a wide range of IP-based communications via their existing phone numbers and contact books in their handsets. The system affords subscribers the same levels of control and privacy that they currently enjoy with existing telephone services.
The pilot will begin in the second quarter of 2008 as a forerunner to a commercial service to be launched later in the year. Participants in the pilot will include Bharti Airtel, mobilkom austria, Telekom Austria and Telenor. "Consumers are accustomed to making voice calls or sending text and picture messages using their existing phone numbers by simply selecting a contact from the menu in their handset," said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of the GSMA. "Our NRS service will enable operators to extend the universal reach and ease of use of phone numbers to a much wider range of IP-based services, such as Instant Messaging and Video Share."
The GSMA's NRS service is a so-called Private or Carrier ENUM solution and will include a global master root directory. This will enable operators to exchange ENUM data via a common commercial and technical framework, facilitating the rollout and interconnection of IP-services across network boundaries. Based on tried and trusted Domain Name Server (DNS) technology, this Carrier ENUM service will enable operators to route and exchange IP traffic of any kind using telephone numbers.