[VOIPSEC] An issue of trust?

[Geoff Devine]

Randell Jesup writes:

> One of the big problems in trying to apply CALEA to non-PSTN
> IP communication is that there's an underlying assumption that
> CALEA is based on that doesn't hold in the internet world. 
> That assumption is that communication devices are defined by
> fixed numbers that are:
> a) Tied to a location/person
> b) The person requesting the number is authenticated in a
> number of manners
> c) Take a long time to get installed (provisioned)
> d) Are expensive to get installed
> e) The number available to a person is (significantly) limited
> f) Hard to change (related to c)

Do you happen to own a cell phone?  You can walk into any big box store
and leave with a fully functioning phone.  The cellular companies all
tried this same line of argument years ago and were forced to support
CALEA.  

This is a public policy issue.  When an E.164 address is assigned (a US
telephone number) with a contract for service (money changes hands), the
service provider has to provide CALEA support.  Period.  The fact that a
service provider would like to use a technology where this is difficult
is their own problem.

Geoff