 | Enhanced 911: Encyclopedia II - Enhanced 911 - VoIP Enhanced 911
Enhanced 911 - VoIP Enhanced 911
Initial implementations of Voice over IP telephone systems were not integreated with the 911 system at all, meaning that customers could not even dial 911 in the event of an emergency. However, the Federal Communications Commission has mandated all VoIP providers to provide 911 service, including the E911 feature.
On June 3, 2005, the FCC adopted rules requiring providers of VoIP services that connect with the traditional telephone network to supply E911 capabilities to their customers. The E911 hookup may be directly with the Wireline E911 Network, indirectly through a third party such as a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), or by any other technical means. The FCC explained that they felt compelled to issue this mandate because of the public safety concerns. (FCC, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 05-196 available at [1]. Last visited September 18, 2005).)
There are, however, complicated technological problems with implementing E911 with VoIP, which providers are attempting to solve. For example, Vonage, has encouraged its customers to register their locations from which their 911 calls could be routed to the local public safety answering point. (Phil Weiser, Digital Crossroads, 2005, 222.) The FCC had continued to add more requirements and mandate a more sophisticated 911 function.
In some cases, VoIP providers are attempting to connect customers to E911 services through the traditional fixed-line telephone network, but the network is controlled by telecom carriers who are their economic competitors. (Grant Gross, FCC extends VoIP E911 deadline, August 26, 2005 available at [2] last visited September, 18 2005.)
In March, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a lawsuit against Vonage for deceptive marketing practices by not making it clear that VoIP users had to actually sign up for E911 service. Then in May, the FCC ordered VoIP providers to offer E911 service by late November. (Grant Gross, FCC extends VoIP E911 deadline, August 26, 2005 available at [3]. Last visited September, 18 2005.)
In June, 2005, the FCC announced that customers must respond to the E911 VoIP warning and those who do not have their service cut off on August 30, 2005. The FCC extended the deadline to September 28, 2005. (Gross - Ibid.) As of November 29, 2005, some VoIP providers were significantly out of compliance with the order. The FCC threatened to prevent these companies from marketing their services or signing up new customers in non-compliant areas. [4]
There are also other proposed features that are intended to allow telephone callers from large corporate telephone networks, on both traditional and VoIP PBXs, to be located down to the specific office on a particular floor of a building.
Other related archives9-1-1, 911, ANI, CDMA, Canada, Cingular, Competitive local exchange carriers, Craig Neidorf, DS0, Federal Communications Commission, GPS, GSM, Global Positioning System, Hybrid, ILEC, Multi-Frequency (MF), NANP, North American, PBXs, Public Safety Answering Point, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, TDMA, TV, United States, Verizon Wireless, Voice over IP, assisted GPS, base stations, call, caller, calling for help, cellular network, cellular telephony, computer-assisted dispatch, data, default, emergency, emergency dispatch, emergency responders, emergency services, emergency telephone number, exchange, fingerprinting, handset, intersect, line of sight, location-based services, map, metropolitan areas, mobile telephone, mountainous, multilateration, multipath, network, operator, patterns, phone numbers, privacy, radio towers, radiolocation, regular telephone lines, seismometers, skyscrapers, telephone, telephone company, telephone company (LEC), telephone directory, telephone number, telephone switch, terrain, triangulation, wireless
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "VoIP Enhanced 911", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
