Direct VoIP access to 911 system under consideration in US

Calls from VoIP phone companies have to go through a third party and do not have a direct way of providing a 911 service on their own.

A new bill introduced recently in the US House of Representatives aims to change this to allow VoIP companies to offer 911 services to customers and, if approved, it could expand VoIP phone service coverage across the US.

Congress passed a similar right to cellular phone service carriers in 1999, giving them liability protection when handling 911 calls on wireless networks. The bill now under consideration would also extend Good Samaritan liability protection to VoIP companies that directly handle 911 calls.

VoIP service providers have been required by the FCC since 2005 to provide 911 service for their customers, but because doing so isn't always technically viable, especially in rural areas that lack broadband service, VoIP service isn't an option in every part of the country.

Requiring VoIP providers to route 911 calls through third parties is also costly, another hindrance to the expansion of the service nationwide.

A vote by the House of Representatives could be made before the end of the year.