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What a VoIP service provider should know about the new E911 service requirements
April 9, 2006
By: Alice Osborn
In May 2005, the FCC imposed immediate E911 requirements
for VoIP service providers, which gave implied legitimacy to
this growing telephony field. In this new ruling, a VoIP
service provider, such as
Vonage,
must support E911 services within a 120-day window. In order
to comply with the new regulations, a Voice over IP provider
must have their 911 calls placed with emergency services
within the caller’s proximity, rather than where that VoIP
number might be located. Another change to the current 911
services would require providers to automatically file the
customer’s location in their system, while now this is only
an optional feature.
Kevin Martin, the FCC Chairman, said this statement the
day of the FCC ruling, “Anyone who dials 911 has a
reasonable expectation that he or she will be connected to
an emergency operator; this expectation exists whether that
person is dialing 911 from a traditional wireline phone, a
wireless phone, or a VoIP phone. Today, we take this action
to ensure this expectation is met as soon as possible."
Recent cases against Vonage involving failed 911 VoIP
calls prompted the FCC to regulate Voice over IP service
providers. The agency hopes to avoid similar situations when
VoIP users could not connect with emergency personnel.
Higher costs for VoIP providers?
If the VoIP provider is a start-up company that has
offered low-cost deals to customers, they may face higher
short-term costs while finding their own E911 solution.
However, in the case of Vonage, the largest independent VoIP
provider, or in the case of the cable companies offering
digital voice, implementing these new regulations should not
be as costly. In fact, Vonage has reached agreements with
two former Bell companies, SBC Communications and BellSouth,
to buy access to their E911 infrastructure. This summer,
Vonage will implement an opt-out system to have new Vonage
customers signed up for 911 services during their
registration process, in order to meet the FCC’s 120-day
time limit.
The FCC passed down the funding for E911 services to the
states that already collect a monthly 911 customer service
charge. Under the new plan, states will be responsible for
collecting these fees.
Several technical and financial hurdles exist for the
Voice over IP service providers before all of them can find
a reasonable E911 solution. However, Vonage is setting a
good example of how to implement the FCC regulations within
a reasonable time frame without overburdening the consumer
with extra costs.
About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Audio-Conferencing-Guide.com. Your definitive guide to everything you need to know about
audio driven communications, including audio conferencing,
conference calling services, and VoIP telephony for business
and personal use.
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