Links ARCHIVE: CNET News.com - The FCC and 911 Phone Calls

Published on May 22, 2005 By joeKnowledge In Living in Cyberspace

SOURCE: CNET News.com
Why the FCC is targeting VoIP 911 calls

Published: May 19, 2005, 8:30 AM PDT By Ben Charny

Law and order are coming to VoIP 911.

Most Americans take it for granted that when they dial 911 they will reach a dispatcher who can immediately summon an ambulance, fire truck or police patrol. That dispatcher might even dispense preliminary advice for those with medical emergencies. But for the growing number of people who are using their broadband connections to make phone calls--using a technology known as VoIP, or voice over Internet Protocol--that assumption could prove dangerous.

Because of a range of technical and other problems, VoIP 911 calls are often unreliable. After-hours calls in particular may be misdirected to emergency-services administrative offices, where a recorded message explains that the offices are closed and that callers should dial 911 if there's an emergency. What's more, VoIP 911 calls that do reach dispatchers often aren't accompanied by the caller's phone number and location.

On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission stepped in with the first rules addressing 911 calls on VoIP. The questions and answers here focus on how the system works, what action the FCC is taking and how its ruling will affect customers and VoIP providers.

What is VoIP? How many people use it?
Software geared for voice over Internet Protocol....

For more, click on the link provided...

Releated Links: FCC requires VoIP to clean up its 911 act Congress pushes 911 mandate on VoIP This week in Net telephony

Comments

ParaTed2k

on May 22, 2005

Why do bureaucrats think we have to reinvent the wheel with every advance in technology? 9-11 has evolved to mean a specific number of things. Now, there are some systems that are more advanced than others, but by law, all 9-11 systems already have to meet a minimum standard set by the DOT and the FCC.

So, now because of Broadband, we have another avenue through which emergency situations can be reported, and the proper authorities can be dispatched. What does the method of contacting the dispatchers have anything to do with the minimum standard? If VoIP can live up to existing DOT and FCC standards for 9-11 then great, let them be part of the 9-11 system, but until they meet those standards, it should be as illegal for them to accept emergency phone calls as it is for me or you to do so.

Technology moves forward at far too fast a rate to expect government to keep up. If there is already a standard, there is no reason to come up with new standards to fit new technology. That's just stupidity.

kona0197

on May 23, 2005

You forgot to provide a link Joe.

joeKnowledge

on May 23, 2005

Sorry.

I'll add it in now.

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