| VoIP Telephony - What You Need to Know First | | | | locate the customer in the event of a 911 call. |
| About Emergency 911 Calls | | | | Enhanced 911 or E911 service is a North American |
| Voice over Internet Protocol providers Skype, | | | | telephone network (NANP) feature of the 911 |
| and Vonage are just two of the many VoIP | | | | emergency-calling system that automatically |
| telecoms service providers which have, Visit here | | | | associates a physical address with the calling |
| the past, come under fire in the US, and | | | | party's telephone number as required by the |
| elsewhere, for failing to connect emergency 911 | | | | Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of |
| calls. | | | | 1999. |
| It is quite natural for users to assume that VoIP | | | | More specifically, manufacturers, such as recent |
| based systems will provide emergency response | | | | entry VoIP vendor Zultys Technologies, are |
| services in much in the same way as is provided | | | | fine-tuning products like its MX250 to mitigate the |
| via cell phones and fixed line phones. Indeed, the | | | | 911 situation. |
| suppliers of VoIP services want us to view their | | | | Enhanced 911 is reported to be currently (as of |
| systems as equals to fixed lines, and indeed also, | | | | 2007) deployed in most metropolitan areas in the |
| cell/mobile phone services. | | | | United States and Canada. |
| Now, it is highly possible, in fact, that as the | | | | Outside the United States this type of facility is |
| technology behind VoIP is further refined over the | | | | often called 'caller location', though its |
| next few years it will become impossible for even | | | | implementation is dependent on how the |
| technically aware users to know whether a | | | | telephone network processes emergency calls. |
| particular phone system is either VoIP based, or a | | | | But is Enhanced 911 reporting really a 'solution' at |
| standard fixed line system. So, this being the case | | | | all? Read on to find out more. |
| unless VoIP providers can get this service up and | | | | Users should be sympathetic to the difficulties the |
| running there are going to be tragedies arising | | | | VoIP providers face in implementing emergency |
| from users assuming that they have emergency | | | | call services. VoIP companies are still just |
| service call coverage, when in reality they don't | | | | minnows when compared with the big telecoms |
| have any 911 capability whatsoever. | | | | providers. The amount of work needed to bring in |
| Some tragedies have already occurred already | | | | 911, and similar emergency services, across so |
| from VoIP's 911 shortcomings, in the emergency | | | | many nations is huge. Let us not forget either |
| call area. It has been reported that one tragedy in | | | | that the traditional fixed line telecoms providers |
| particular has already needed legal defence from | | | | will not be anxious to assist their upstart VoIP |
| provider Edison, N. to deflect prosecution. | | | | competitors in resolving the issues preventing |
| Stories about problems with the local emergency | | | | solution of the one remaining area where the |
| call capability of VoIP based cell phones, in use in | | | | fixed systems and cell phone systems providers |
| current systems in place, have already been | | | | still have an undeniable lead. |
| known to feature in the headlines of newspapers. | | | | Skype, for example, explains that it considers that |
| Reports focus on the fact that individuals in | | | | it does not have access to reliable real-time |
| emergencies are been picking up their VoIP | | | | location information for its users. Skype tells us |
| phones unaware that no service is provided, and | | | | that it may determine a user's IP address, but IP |
| they waste much precious time before realizing | | | | addresses (in addition to being vulnerable to |
| that they will not be able to place the necessary | | | | spoofing) offer only the most general sense of a |
| emergency call. | | | | user's location. It is open to Skype to request |
| As VoIP phones are on the Internet and nomadic, | | | | location information from its users, but it is their |
| the location of the individual placing the 911 call can | | | | view that any self-reported information is likely to |
| be very difficult to determine. VoIP and 911 issues | | | | be unreliable. |
| are not easy for the VoIP providers to resolve | | | | This VoIP further explains that users typically use |
| either, as users often install their service on | | | | Skype from laptops or from several computers. |
| laptops and other mobile devise, from which there | | | | It is common for its users to log into their Skype |
| is no geolocation data available in the way this | | | | accounts from home, work, hotel rooms, airports, |
| data is integral to cell phone systems. | | | | internet cafes, and anywhere else they have |
| The solution proposed is that all VoIP providers | | | | access to a computer and a broadband |
| should be required to transmit all 911 calls, including | | | | connection. As a consequence it seems to be self |
| a call-back number and the registered street | | | | evident that any user-reported location |
| address of the customer, to the appropriate | | | | information, even if initially correct, will only at |
| emergency call enter or local emergency | | | | best accurately describe a user's location some of |
| authority. These systems have reportedly been | | | | the time. At worst, and not infrequently the |
| developed by some VoIP providers and are | | | | user-given address could be error so much so |
| available. However, in many areas cases | | | | that the real location may be in a different |
| emergency service providers are not yet capable | | | | continent. |
| of receiving and/or processing the call-back | | | | In these circumstances it is understandable, and |
| number or street address information transmitted | | | | should be seen as entirely forgivable by the user, |
| with VoIP 911 calls, and even where they have | | | | that many VoIP suppliers are saying that that |
| been implemented there a very big question mark | | | | they are simply unable to deliver emergency calls |
| over the adequacy of such a system. | | | | to the proper emergency response provider. |
| For this reason, in this article we can only talk in | | | | In this context, many VoIP suppliers consider |
| general and we recommend that all existing and | | | | themselves unable to transmit location and |
| potential VoIP users ask detailed questions | | | | callback information, as to provide incorrect data |
| concerning VoIP 911 service provider | | | | may be worse than the provision of none at all. A |
| requirements and regulations, in their location. You | | | | VoIP service provider supplied call to the |
| should visit the local telecoms regulator's web site | | | | emergency services would run a serious risk of |
| or similar local inspector's website, and if | | | | being routed to the wrong public response service |
| necessary make enquiries to these bodies for | | | | location, and would contain unreliable information |
| clarification, and make your decision on how to | | | | once connected. |
| act on this matter. It could be a matter of life | | | | Adding capability for such calls to the VoIP |
| and death to the users, for example, of an office | | | | service, for as long as there is no automatic |
| VoIP system in the event of fire or entrapment. | | | | real-time method of verifying geolocation within |
| To get around the lack of E911 (E100 in Europe), | | | | the VoIP system, would reduce user security by |
| it is recommended that any factory or workplace | | | | creating a false impression that the VoIP service |
| should:- | | | | supplier is capable of providing a service able to |
| 1. Maintain at least one non-VoIP line in each office | | | | reach the right emergency services reliably. |
| for emergency calls as it phases out its PBXes | | | | Furthermore, to increase the burden on the |
| exchanges; | | | | emergency response services with improperly |
| 2. Publicize the fact that emergency service calls | | | | routed VoIP service provider sourced calls and |
| cannot be made over the normal (VoIP) office | | | | then supply unreliable information would be a very |
| phone system, and ensure that the location of | | | | unfortunate outcome, to be avoided above all. |
| the emergency service enabled non-VoIP line is | | | | The advice given at present by most VoIP |
| known to all users. | | | | providers is that their services should not be used |
| VoIP service providers in North America, are | | | | as a telephone replacement service and cannot be |
| endeavoring to solve the 911 problem, and the | | | | used for emergency dialing. All those who in turn |
| solution being progressed works something like | | | | provide VoIP telecoms through their own |
| the following:- | | | | systems, such as within businesses, hotels etc. |
| - Prior to activating a new customer's service, | | | | should also give the same warning, and an |
| VoIP providers must obtain the street address | | | | emergency line enabled alternative service should |
| where the service will be used, so that | | | | be made available and known to all that may need |
| emergency services will have the best chance to | | | | to use it. |