America is lending its support to an international proposal to map telephone numbers to internet addresses. 

In a recent internal letter, the George Bush's Commerce Department recommended that the US participate in an emerging electronic numbering system, known as ENUM, that will allow people to use one identifier for many different purposes, including mobile phones, email, instant messaging and faxes. ENUM is designed to accelerate the convergence of the telephone network and the internet and is expected to offer a huge boost to online telephony services. 

"The United States should seize this opportunity and take steps to participate in e164.arpa, consistent with the highest standards of security, competition, and privacy," wrote assistant secretary Nancy Victory in the letter to the State Department. The domain that will be used with ENUM addresses ends with e164.arpa. 


Victory said the US should formally participate in the ENUM process and push for its implementation, consistent with a set of principles that include supporting competition, minimising regulation, promoting interoperability and preserving privacy. 

Details at: http://silicon.com/news/500015-500001/1/2886.html