'Help! I've Got VoIP and I Can't Call 911!' Says IP911 Resource; FCC Backs Down on VoIP 911 Regulations Despite Existing Solution1 December 2005
When you call 911, how sure are you that help really is on the way? If you have a VoIP-enabled phone service, don't get too comfortable. The latest decision by the FCC does not require Internet phone service providers to cut off service to customers who don't have reliable 911 emergency call services, so it may be some time before VoIP customers can effectively dial 911.
Internet phone providers aren't helping either. While providers should be spending resources finding ways to keep their customers safe, many simply are spending their time fighting the FCC regulations.
In the FCC's original decision, providers of Internet-based phone calls had to certify that their customers would be able to reach an emergency dispatcher when they called 911. Dispatchers also must be able to identify the caller's phone number and location. Providers had until Nov. 28 to comply with this regulation or they would be required to cut off service to customers. But the FCC's newest decree only necessitates that providers stop taking on new
customers, and they are expected to discontinue marketing Internet call services.
Worldwide, approximately 5.5 million people use Internet phone technology with the United States expected to attract 3 million users by the end of the year according to research firm IDC Corp. With U.S. subscribers estimated to hit 27 million in four years and global 911 calls expected to increase tenfold by the end of next year, it is easy to see why compliance to the FCC mandate is so greatly needed.
"The number of Internet phone customers is steadily growing in this country and it's only a matter of time before this technology becomes the norm in American households," said IP911 Resource Spokesperson Mike Smith. "Internet-based phone providers owe it to their customers to provide a reliable VoIP 911 solution, yet not one has been able to do so."
But the solution is out there. IP911 Resource's S911 (Superior 911) remains the only 911 VoIP technology to hold a U.S. Patent. The breakthrough development, which IP911 Resource has spent four years perfecting, maintains VoIP's mobility by involving the integration of GPS, software, various databases and IP telephones. After an emergency signal is activated over a
VoIP connection, the software uses a GPS device to pinpoint the exact location of the caller in terms of longitude, latitude and altitude. Location software and database comparisons are then used to find the address of the emergency and the nearest public safety location and phone number to route the VoIP emergency.
"Clearly, VoIP is still in the early adoption phase but that doesn't mean that its users should have to sacrifice their safety by settling for a sub-par emergency call system," Smith said. "As the many benefits of VoIP technology grow more attractive to telephone users in this country, it is natural to reason that E911 is an issue that must be resolved before most people feel
comfortable when making this switch."
About IP911 Resource
IP911 Resource is a Dallas-based company that has created a breakthrough emergency call technology via VoIP. The company currently holds the first, and only, patent on this technology. The VoIP 911 solution, also referred to as Superior911 (S911), relies on GPS technology to pinpoint a caller's location.
Contact: Contact:
Michelle Metzger Mike Smith
M/C/C for IP911 Resource IP911 Resource
972-480-8383 x. 231 972-504-6621
Michelle_Metzger@mccom.com msmith@IP911resource.com
http://www.IP911resource.com
Source: prnewswire
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