US Senate approves 911 VoIP bill
by Lin Freestone
February 29, 2008
In the US, the Senate has approved a bill that would ensure 911 access for customers using Internet-based phone services. The bill would allow cable companies and other VoIP providers the same type of interconnection access as traditional phone providers so that 911 calls made from VoIP connections will be guaranteed to reach a live operator.
The issue arose several years ago when VoIP subscribers discovered that they could not connect to 911, or that their phones connected to an unmanned police station.
The discovery, sometimes in the middle of an emergency which caused several unfortunate incidents, prompted the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, to step in. The commission ruled in 2005 that VoIP providers must provide customers with 911 access.
Though the FCC has already taken action on this issue, the Senate bill will make the 911 requirement law instead of just an FCC rule. The important legislation will ensure that the US 911 laws are up-to-date with new technologies.
Two amendments to the bill give authority to the FCC to fold the 911 requirements into new phone services as they evolve, and require a study on the development of next-generation 911 capabilities.
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association has sent a letter to House and Senate leaders to voice its support for the Senate bill. The association is of the opinion that the bill is critical to ensure that VoIP providers have access to the components necessary to provide 911 and e911 services on the same terms and conditions and with the same protections afforded to all providers of voice service.
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