By using smartphones and the cloud we’ve become accustomed to accessing our personal e-mail, files, photos and media from anywhere. Advances in VoIP technology now give businesses similar capability plus one more benefit – emergency backup.
We’re not talking about data backup, but the kind that will get emergency crews to your location even if landlines are down.
In its early days, VoIP was a way to make calls over the Internet and we thought that was pretty cool. But now VoIP providers package voice and data services together, so even if your copper wire phone service is knocked out you can probably still get through using the Internet connection of VoIP. Backup batteries on the router can even mean connectivity in the case of power outages.
But let’s say you’re having a heart attack and leave the landline handset dangling (think all the way back to those images of corded rotary phones!) the 911 dispatcher will still know where to send emergency crews since all landline numbers are connected to a physical location.
The Federal Communications Commission took that into account when they approved VoIP service, instituting the following requirements for providers:
Customers have to provide a physical address where the service will be first used before a VoIP provider is allowed to connect them;
VoIP providers have to provide simple, easy to use ways for customers to update their physical location. Often this is accomplished by logging on and updating address information online at the customer’s convenience;
VoIP providers are required to transmit all 911 calls to emergency providers and provide a physical location and callback number;
If the VoIP provider has any reason to think their ability to provide 911 services may be limited, they are required to disclose this information to customers before purchase and to provide labels for customer to place on connection points;
VoIP providers must ensure that emergency services are able to receive the location and contact information they transmit. If it won’t transmit they must route the 911 call to the nearest appropriate Public Safety Answering Point.
VoIP is also free-floating – not tied to a physical location – so in the event a business location is inaccessible calls can be rerouted off premises and work can be accomplished remotely.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson