TMCnews Featured Article
February 22, 2012
FCC to Protect E911 Capabilities; Requires VoIP Outage Reporting
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
The proliferation of VoIP as the communication method of choice has largely been driven by the fact that this technology offering enables lower cost, greater capabilities and even great quality as compared with a traditional landline. When used for E911 communications, however, what happens when a network outage occurs?
In the traditional landline world, an outage had to be reported to the Federal Communications Commission. When VoIP first burst onto the scene, the only aftermath to a network outage was a slew of angry customers. With E911 in place, an outage means much more than a dropped call with your mom or a ready-to-purchase customer – it could mean an inability to reach someone in trouble.
This recent CNET piece reported on the change, highlighting a statement from FCC (News - Alert) Chairman Julius Genachowski: "We are helping ensure that consumers will have access to reliable phone service, particularly when calling 911, whether they are using a traditional telephone or one that operates by interconnected VoIP service. Public safety is a core mission for the agency."
According to the FCC, there is a steady rise in VoIP adoption. In fact, roughly 31 percent of residential telephone subscriptions are now listed as a VoIP service. The commission is playing catch up on specific rules and regulations regarding this technology to keep citizens safe and service providers accountable.
Reporting rules issued by the FCC have previously addressed wired and wireless platforms, yet failed to cover VoIP. As a result, networks supporting E911 had no obligation to let the FCC know when a failure occurred, even if millions of customers were affected.
With this change, the FCC will have reports to track and analyze information regarding VoIP outages, and gain a better understanding overall when it comes to E911 service. This information can then be used to decide if something should be done to prevent outages in the future.
This move was due in large part to the FCC’s obligation to ensure communication technologies support emergency communications. This is especially true in life-threatening situations.
In other E911 news, TMCnet recently reported that Congress is considering millions in funding for the technology. The next Generation 9-1-1 Advancement Act has been adopted by the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. The Act, which aims to upgrade 9-1-1 capabilities, allows for the distribution of $250 million over the next five years to cover new services, training and technology.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Juliana Kenny
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