GETS HOMEPAGE

["CONSULTRAC" <rcarlton@consultrac.com>]

I believe that there are constraining implications embodied in this policy.

 

Rick

RICHARD A CARLTON
SENIOR PARTNER

rcarlton@consultrac.com
www.consultrac.com

tel:	830.693.3366

Signature powered by Plaxo

Want a signature like this?

Add me to your address book...

Title: GETS Home Page

The Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS)

---

A telecommunications service in a constant state of readiness.

---

The Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) supports national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) requirements for the use of public, defense, or Federal telephone networks by Government departments, agencies, and other authorized users. Developed in response to White House tasking, GETS provides authenticated access, enhanced routing, and priority treatment in local and long-distance telephone networks. GETS access is through a simple dialing plan and personal identification number (PIN).

GETS is designed and maintained in a constant state of readiness to make maximum use of all available telephone resources should outages occur during an emergency, crisis, or war.

GETS uses three major types of networks:

• The major long-distance networks provided by interexchange carriers (IECs) - AT&T, MCI, and Sprint - including their international services.
• The local networks provided by local exchange carriers (LECs) and wireless carriers.
• Government-leased networks, including the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS2000), the Defense Switched Network (DSN), and the Diplomatic Telecommunications Service (DTS).

GETS is accessed through a universal access number using common telephone equipment such as a standard desk set, STU-III, facsimile, modem, or cellular phone. A prompt will direct the entry of a PIN and the destination telephone number. Once the caller has been authenticated as a valid user, the call is identified as an NS/EP call and receives enhanced routing and priority treatment.

GETS has been designed to ensure that only authorized users access the service through the distribution, use, and control of PINs. The GETS user will be provided with a unique PIN that must be used to access the service. After the universal access number has been dialed, the GETS user will be prompted to enter a PIN and destination number. If the access control system fails, the call will be processed and allowed to complete. PINs can be deactivated for fraud or abuse.

GETS traffic receives priority treatment over normal traffic through:

• Controls such as trunk queuing, trunk subgrouping, or trunk reservation.
• Exemption from restrictive network management controls that are used to reduce network congestion.
• High Probability of Completion Standard (ANSI T1.631-1993) application to provide:
  • NS/EP identification
  • Priority signaling.

These features enhance the capability of NS/EP calls to be completed in congested networks. GETS will not preempt public traffic, nor are there levels of precedence in GETS.

GETS can be used to place or receive an international call. You can also access GETS through FTS2000, DTS or DSN circuits by first accessing these circuits and then entering the universal access number. This direct access around potential PSN problems using facilities of FTS2000, DTS or DSN is an important method of avoiding outages or congestion in the local carriers.

How do you become a subscriber?

If you are an member of the Federal Government, military or civilian and you have requirements for emergency telephone services, contact your organization's GETS Point of Contact or the GETS Program Management Office for further information on becoming a subscriber. Non-NCS Federal organizations, state and local governments, and other subscribers must be sponsored by the OMNCS or an NCS member organization.

---

 Return to the N2 Home Page           Return to the NCS Home Page

---

You may contact the GETS Program Management Office by email at ..... gets@ncs.gov

Last UpDate: 16 December 1997 ncc@ncs.gov