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Vonage VoIP and
911 Emergency Service
One often mentioned aspect of VoIP service is that 911 service may not work or may not work as well as 911 service provided by traditional telephone service providers. While there is some truth to this, there are also some misconceptions regarding this topic. This article will briefly discuss the current state of 911 emergency service and VoIP.
Two Types of 911 Service – Basic 911 and E911
Currently in the US there are two types of 911 service available to users of traditional telephone service. The first type, Basic 911, automatically connects the caller to local emergency services based on their physical location. Since traditional phone service uses dedicated wiring to a physical location, it is fairly easy for the telephone service provider to determine the proper local emergency service to connect with the caller. So if you live in an area with Basic 911 service from your telephone service provider, you can reasonably expect to be connected with the correct 911 call center for you physical location when you place a 911 call.
The second, newer type of 911 service is referred to as Enhanced 911 or E911. Enhanced 911 service not only connects you with the proper local emergency service, but also reports your physical location (physical address) and phone number to the E911 operator handling your call. This is important in cases where a person may be able to dial 911 and either not know where they are located or not be able to speak due to some injury or illness.
Also, it is possible that someone under duress may be able to place a 911 call but not be able to speak for fear of injury. Since the E911 operator is supplied with your exact physical location, emergency personnel can be dispatched to your location without your having to convey this information to the 911 operator. Also, since E911 service supplies the emergency operator with your phone number, they are able to attempt to call you back in the event the call is disconnected. Although somewhat more difficult than with basic 911 service, E911 is still fairly easy for the local telephone service provider to implement. It should be noted here that currently 81 million traditional telephone users in the US live in areas where E911 has not been implemented.
The Problem - VoIP is Not Based on Physical Location
The problem with VoIP and 911 or E911 service is that VoIP is not a location-specific technology. When a VoIP user logs onto their VoIP service and places a call, the call is routed based on IP address information and not tied to a physical location. This means that without some intervention by your VoIP service provider, your 911 call may be connected to emergency personnel that are in your area code, but not in your immediate area. In addition, if you live in an area with E911 service, the 911 operator that you reach will not be able to determine your exact physical location or callback number. However, VoIP service providers have taken steps to ensure at least Basic 911 service for virtually all VoIP users in the US.
The Solution – How VoIP Providers are Addressing the Problem
VoIP service providers have approached this dilemma by intercepting and routing 911 calls based on the physical address that you provide when registering for VoIP service. This means that as long as your physical address is current in their master database, your call will be connected to the proper 911 emergency personnel. This ensures at least Basic 911 service for VoIP users.
VoIP providers have approached E911 service in much the same way. They have added infrastructure that can convey your physical location (exact address) and callback number via the E911 system. In fact, Congress has mandated that VoIP providers may not offer new service in areas where they have not implemented E911 service. This does not apply to areas where the overall E911 system has not been implemented.
The Current State of VoIP and 911
As you can see from the above discussion, 911 emergency service with VoIP is not as large a problem as is sometimes reported in the press and on the internet. Almost all VoIP users currently have Basic 911 service. So the real problem with VoIP 911 service is primarily in the area of E911 service. An estimated 750,000 million current VoIP subscribers do not have E911 service. VoIP providers are hard at work in implementing E911 in all of the areas where it is available to regular telephone users. The mandate by Congress mentioned above ensures that this will be done as quickly as possible.
VoIP and Power Outages
Another aspect to this issue is that of being able to reach 911 emergency personnel during a power outage. During a local power outage, your regular telephone service will likely continue to work. This is due to the fact that telephone service providers have complete backup capabilities to ensure that there is power to the local phone system.
Since VoIP requires a PC or dedicated VoIP hardware such as ATAs, VoIP routers or VoIP hardphones, the ability to use your VoIP service is dependent on you local electric service being available. If there is a power outage in your local area, there will be no power to your PC or dedicated VoIP hardware. In addition, your local ISP may be affected by a power outage and your high-speed connection may not be available.
It should be noted at this point, however, that if all of the phones in your home or business require a power adapter in order to function (cordless phone base stations, for example), you will not be able to use your telephone to contact 911 during a local power outage.
The problem of loss of power to your PC and/or dedicated VoIP hardware can be solved by using a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for your PC and associated VoIP hardware, including your high-speed internet modem or router. However, this does not ensure that your high-speed service will be available during the power outage. ISPs are currently implementing backup power systems similar to the ones used by telephone service providers. As more and more people start to rely on the internet to conduct their daily lives, ISPs are rapidly implementing backup schemes to ensure service in the event of power failure.
Summary
In light of the issues discussed above, it is probably not a good idea to rely on VoIP as your only means of reaching 911 personnel in the event of an emergency. Most VoIP users solve this problem in one of two ways. The first is to maintain just basic telephone service to their home or business to ensure proper 911 access. Another method is to rely on wireless (cellular) phone service to ensure 911 access. Also, keep in mind that VoIP providers and ISPs are constantly working to improve the current 911 situation, so that this is not likely to be as large an issue in the near future.