Senate Passes VoIP Emergency-Dialing Bill

The Senate has passed legislation that will require operators of 911 networks to connect with VoIP providers, and also give dispatch centers liability protection when handling VoIP calls. But will it also improve emergency response?

In an article on the ComputerWorld website, Grant Gross says the Senate passed the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act by unanimous consent.

“In May 2005, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted to require Voice-over-IP (VoIP) providers to offer enhanced 911, or E911, to their customers by early 2006. But VoIP providers have run into several problems, and the FCC extended its deadline,” Gross says.

However, some VoIP providers have complained that some 911 networks, controlled by traditional telecom carriers, have blocked access and some emergency dispatch centers have worried about legal liability if VoIP 911 calls fail.

Gross says the legislation would give dispatch centers liability protection when handling VoIP calls. It would require that 911 networks connect VoIP providers using the same rates and conditions they use when connecting mobile phone carriers. And it requires the government to create a plan for migrating to IP-based 911 networks.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9102659