The CZ.NIC Association Launches the ENUM System

The CZ.NIC Association, the administrator of the national domain CZ, today launched the test operation of the ENUM system and the registration of ENUM domains.

The CZ.NIC Association, the administrator of the national domain CZ, today launched the test operation of the ENUM system and the registration of ENUM domains. During the test operation period the system will be fully functional from the technical viewpoint; on the basis of experience from operation the specifics of the registration of ENUM domains will only be corrected against the registrations of CZ domains, especially the process of the verification of users of telephone numbers (known as validation). The launching of the ENUM system in full operation is planned for January 2007.

The ENUM system combines the advantages of ordinary and IP telephony and enables users of any telephone number to register a special Internet domain for this number with information on how to call this number through the Internet. It is then possible to phone numbers with an ENUM domain free of charge regardless of the network of which telephone operator the number is situated in (including foreign networks). The ENUM system is already working in some neighbouring states (such as Germany and Austria) and the Ministry of Informatics has entrusted the CZ.NIC Association with its introduction and administration in the Czech Republic. You can learn more about the ENUM system at the website http://enum.nic.cz.

"With today's launching of the ENUM system the Czech Republic has joined the pioneer states of Europe who have introduced this technology and offered its use to the public," said Ondřej Filip, the Director of the CZ.NIC Association, commenting on the launching of the registration of ENUM domains. "I am convinced that the very near future will see the expansion of the circle of domain registrars and telecommunications operators who will be offering their customers ENUM and the services connected with it."

How does ENUM function?
To utilise the advantages of ENUM it is enough to register an ENUM domain for oneself and thus make public the way to phone one's telephone number through the Internet. The ENUM technology works in such a way that on dialling a telephone number it always ascertains first of all whether it is possible to link up with the telephone of the user called through the Internet. If this is possible the call is connected this way and is free of charge. In the case that connection through the Internet is not possible the call is made in the normal way over the telephone lines of the public telephone network.

ENUM also provides advantages to operators of "coloured" lines because it enables them to reduce their costs if the caller is using a VoIP telephone. In addition to the telephone number it is also possible to store in the ENUM database other data for connections through other communications services than just voice calls, such as e-mail, website address, vcard, etc. In addition the records stored in ENUM can be allocated various degrees of priority and there can thus be selected the order of the services to be used for connection with a given number.

"The ENUM technology brings advantages to telecommunications operators, firms and also domestic users," says Pavel Tůma, the project manager of the CZ.NIC Association responsible for the ENUM project. "Operators can attract customers with free calls or calls at a minimum rate, firms will make considerable savings on calls between branches anywhere in the world and also on the operation of what are known as 'coloured lines' and households will naturally also save on their calls."

During the test operation the CZ.NIC Association will not collect any charges from registrars for the registration of ENUM domains. For the whole of the following year the registration fee will be only 1 CZK. Those registering the ENUM domains will themselves decide prices for end customers.

Registrars of ENUM domains and operators using ENUM in their own networks
The first to join in the development of the ENUM system were the domain registrars, the firms of KRAXNET, IGNUM and IPEX, with whom those interested may register from today the appropriate ENUM domains for their telephone numbers. The CESNET and IPEX telecommunications operators support the ENUM system in their networks and the Dial Telecom operator is also working on the introduction of the ENUM system.