RFC 3191 (rfc3191) - Page 1 of 13


Minimal GSTN address format in Internet Mail



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                       C. Allocchio
Request for Comments: 3191                                    GARR-Italy
Obsoletes: 2303                                             October 2001
Updates: 2846
Category: Standards Track


              Minimal GSTN address format in Internet Mail

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 (2001).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This memo describes a simple method of encoding Global Switched
   Telephone Network (GSTN) addresses (commonly called "telephone
   numbers") in the local-part of Internet email addresses, along with
   an extension mechanism to allow encoding of additional standard
   attributes needed for email gateways to GSTN-based services.

1. Introduction

   As with all Internet mail addresses, the left-hand-side (local-part)
   of an address generated according to this specification, is not to be
   interpreted except by an MTA that handles messages for the domain
   given in the right-hand-side.

   Since the very first e-mail to GSTN services gateway appeared, a
   number of different methods to specify a GSTN address as an e-mail
   address have been used by implementors.  Several objectives for this
   methods have been identified, like to enable an e-mail user to access
   GSTN services from his/her e-mail interface, to allow some kind of
   "GSTN over e-mail service" transport (possibly reducing the costs of
   GSTN long distance transmissions) while using the existing e-mail
   infrastructure.







Allocchio                   Standards Track