URLs for Telephone Calls (RFC2806)

Network Working Group A. Vaha-Sipila Request for Comments: 2806 Nokia Category: Standards Track April 2000

URLs for Telephone Calls

Status of this Memo

This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2000). All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

This document specifies URL (Uniform Resource Locator) schemes "tel", "fax" and "modem" for specifying the location of a terminal in the phone network and the connection types (modes of operation) that can be used to connect to that entity. This specification covers voice calls (normal phone calls, answering machines and voice messaging systems), facsimile (telefax) calls and data calls, both for POTS and digital/mobile subscribers.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ................................................ 2 1.1 New URL schemes ............................................ 2 1.2 Formal definitions ......................................... 3 1.3 Requirements ............................................... 3 2. URL schemes for telephone calls ............................. 3 2.1 Applicability .............................................. 3 2.2 "tel" URL scheme ........................................... 4 2.3 "fax" URL scheme ........................................... 6 2.4 "modem" URL scheme ......................................... 6 2.5 Parsing telephone, fax and modem URLs ...................... 7 2.5.1 Call type ................................................ 7 2.5.2 Phone numbers and their scope ............................ 7 2.5.3 Separators in phone numbers .............................. 10 2.5.4 Converting the number to the local numbering scheme ...... 10 2.5.5 Sending post-dial sequence after call setup .............. 10 2.5.6 Pauses in dialing and post-dial sequence ................. 11 2.5.7 ISDN subaddresses ........................................ 11

Vaha-Sipila Standards Track [Page 1]

RFC 2806 URLs for Telephone Calls April 2000

2.5.8 T.33 subaddresses ........................................ 11 2.5.9 Data call parameters ..................................... 12 2.5.10 Telephony service provider identification ............... 13 2.5.11 Additional parameters ................................... 14 2.6 Examples of Use ............................................ 14 2.7 Rationale behind the syntax ................................ 15 2.7.1 Why distinguish between call types? ..................... 15 2.7.2 Why "tel" is "tel"? ..................................... 16 2.7.3 Why to use E.164-style numbering? ........................ 16 2.7.4 Not everyone has the same equipment as you ............... 17 2.7.5 Do not confuse numbers with how they are dialled .......