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VoIP Providers Given 120 Days to Provide 911 Service

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the in-the-event-of-an-emergency dept.

linuxwrangler writes "According to this SFGate article, federal regulators have given VoIP providers 120 days to provide 911 service to their customers. The vote came after testimony from people including a Florida woman who had her infant die after being unable to call 911 from her internet phone. VoIP providers are also required to notify their customers of the deadline and of the limitations of VoIP 911 service."

4 of 626 comments (clear)

  1. Now the question is... by jmcmunn · · Score: 4, Interesting


    My cell phone works with 911 even if you cancel all other service to the phone. Does that mean broadband and Voip companies will have to do the same?

    I always wondered why it was that my cell phone always has to have 911 access, yet Ma Bell can cut my service and I get no dial tone if I don't pay my bills.

  2. One soloution by FidelCatsro · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Would to provide new handsets with basic Mobile/cell phone phone functionality to hitch hike on the current networks emergency dialing capabilities.
    It would be a short term soloution indeed , but then 120 days is a very short term .

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  3. Re:120 days.... by Rasta+Prefect · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Even if it means a database of IP address to geographic location mappings.

    Only if IP's corresponded reliably to physical locations, which is broken to start with and gets even works when you start throwing in VPN's and tunnels.

    --
    Why?
  4. those days are gone by kebes · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When I switched to VoIP I thought the same thing: "even if 911 doesn't work, I'll just dial the number for the police station or fire station or whatever." So I contacted the local police station and asked what the # was for calling in an emergency. They said: "911" ... no matter how many agencies I asked about calling the emergency center or police station directly, they all said: "no, direct calling has been phased out... you have to call 911." Calling a police station directly means you are calling about something non-critical and will be put on hold or get a machine.

    I don't know how widespread this problem is, but the "direct calling" idea is no longer an option in some locations. Sad, really.