VoIP Enhanced 911 As VoIP technology matured, service providers began to
interconnect VoIP with the public telephone network and marketed the VoIP
service as a cheap replacement phone service. The problem was, however, that the
VoIP service was not a perfect replacement; it was not directly interconnected
with the 911 network and could not complete a 911 call. VoIP services tried to
improvise, such as routing 911 calls to the administrative phone number of the
Public Safety Answering Point, but this was an imperfect solution. In time, this
problem reached the headlines of newspapers as individuals were unable to place
emergency calls with their VoIP phones.
Initially, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a hands off approach
to VoIP in order to let the service mature and also to facilitate competition in
the telephony market. When the problems with 911 service became acute, the FCC
acted. In 2005, the FCC required that VoIP services that interconnect with the
public telephone network begin to provide 911 service and provide notice to
their consumers concerning the 911 limitations (note that if a VoIP service did
not interconnect with the public telephone network, this requirement was not
imposed). 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. [2]
There are, however, complicated technological problems with implementing E911
with VoIP, which providers are attempting to solve. VoIP phones are on the
Internet and nomadic; the geolocation of the individual placing the 911 call can
be very difficult to determine. Service providers are attempting to phase in
solutions through the I1, I2, and I3 phases. During I1, the 911 call was routed
to the 911 administrative telephone lines without location information. During
I2, VoIP services would participate in the public telephone networks location
database for the location that is identified with that telephone number. During
the I3 solution, VoIP service providers would have a true IP interconnection
with Public Safety Answering Points and would be able to provide even more
valuable information than the legacy 911 system. Where VoIP phones are mobile,
geolocation has additional problems; VoIP service providers are seeking access
to mobile phone location databases. These solutions are being
developed through the cooperation of the Voice on the Network Coalition and the
National Emergency Number Association. 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. The FCC had continued to add
more requirements and mandate a more sophisticated 911 function.
VoIP services have noted an obstacle to full 911 interconnection; in order to
interconnect with the Public Safety Answering Point, the VoIP service providers
must interconnect with the 911 telephone trunk, which is owned and controlled by
their competitors, the traditional fixed-line telephone carriers.
In March 2005, 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.
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.
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.
VoIP & 911 issues are also relevant to Telecom Relay Services utilized by
individuals with disabilities.
Attributes and Credits-The information and facts supplied on this subject
derive from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
interconnect VoIP with the public telephone network and marketed the VoIP
service as a cheap replacement phone service. The problem was, however, that the
VoIP service was not a perfect replacement; it was not directly interconnected
with the 911 network and could not complete a 911 call. VoIP services tried to
improvise, such as routing 911 calls to the administrative phone number of the
Public Safety Answering Point, but this was an imperfect solution. In time, this
problem reached the headlines of newspapers as individuals were unable to place
emergency calls with their VoIP phones.
Initially, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a hands off approach
to VoIP in order to let the service mature and also to facilitate competition in
the telephony market. When the problems with 911 service became acute, the FCC
acted. In 2005, the FCC required that VoIP services that interconnect with the
public telephone network begin to provide 911 service and provide notice to
their consumers concerning the 911 limitations (note that if a VoIP service did
not interconnect with the public telephone network, this requirement was not
imposed). 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. [2]
There are, however, complicated technological problems with implementing E911
with VoIP, which providers are attempting to solve. VoIP phones are on the
Internet and nomadic; the geolocation of the individual placing the 911 call can
be very difficult to determine. Service providers are attempting to phase in
solutions through the I1, I2, and I3 phases. During I1, the 911 call was routed
to the 911 administrative telephone lines without location information. During
I2, VoIP services would participate in the public telephone networks location
database for the location that is identified with that telephone number. During
the I3 solution, VoIP service providers would have a true IP interconnection
with Public Safety Answering Points and would be able to provide even more
valuable information than the legacy 911 system. Where VoIP phones are mobile,
geolocation has additional problems; VoIP service providers are seeking access
to mobile phone location databases. These solutions are being
developed through the cooperation of the Voice on the Network Coalition and the
National Emergency Number Association. 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. The FCC had continued to add
more requirements and mandate a more sophisticated 911 function.
VoIP services have noted an obstacle to full 911 interconnection; in order to
interconnect with the Public Safety Answering Point, the VoIP service providers
must interconnect with the 911 telephone trunk, which is owned and controlled by
their competitors, the traditional fixed-line telephone carriers.
In March 2005, 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.
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.
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.
VoIP & 911 issues are also relevant to Telecom Relay Services utilized by
individuals with disabilities.
Attributes and Credits-The information and facts supplied on this subject
derive from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
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