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VoIP E911 Update: Intrado Completes Deployment in NYC
Intrado deployed new infrastructure to enable VoIP Service Providers (VSPs) to provide E911 service for their subscribers throughout New York City.
BY JOHANNE TORRES
TMCnet VoIP Minute Watch Columnist
The race to get VoIP E911 ready seems to be running tight as we move closer to the September deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for service providers to get the access up and running. In comes emergency access service provider Intrado, not staying behind in this industry-wide effort. The Longmont, CO-based company announced today that it deployed new infrastructure to enable VoIP Service Providers (VSPs) to provide E911 service for their subscribers throughout New York City.
Intrado explained that it worked closely with officials from the City of New York and local 911 service provider Verizon to complete the deployment. The company describes the deployment as the first of its kind to define a VoIP Positioning Center (VPC) implementation model that can help VSPs meet the FCC's pending deadlines. According to the company’s announcement, the V9-1-1 Mobility Service, Intrado's VPC offering, allows VoIP providers to route their subscribers' 9-1-1 calls into the dedicated wireline E911 network.
Now, how does the company do this exactly, you ask? First, Intrado provides instructions on how to route the call and the caller's address to the right public safety answering point (PSAP). The company then provides a series of "meet me" points to facilitate 9-1-1 network access. Lastly, it provides local 9-1-1 selective router connectivity to deliver the call "natively."
This is what Stephen Meer, the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer had to say about today’s announcement: "The deployment of the VoIP E9-1-1 solution in New York City represents a significant milestone in the evolution of 9-1-1, providing VoIP subscribers in New York City with the same level of emergency response as traditional wireline service. Efforts are underway at Intrado to deploy the technology that will extend this capability nationwide."
The New York City deployment marks the beginning of Intrado's rollout of a nationwide VoIP E911 system. The company, joined by Vonage Holdings Corp., arranged a similar deployment [ http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/1104/SFE911.htm ] in the state of Rhode Island towards the end of 2004. According to Vonage’s chairman and CEO Jeffrey Citron, Vonage was contacted by the state of Rhode Island last year wanting to possibly resolve one of the major problems haunting the VoIP industry, the inability to safely rely on E911 for emergency calls via a VoIP connection. Intrado worked with Vonage in this effort.
Intrado has been in business for 25 years routing about 95 percent of emergency calls terminated. Vonage’s Citron explained last year that when Vonage customers dial 9-1-1 using Vonage’s VoIP connection, Vonage will route the call over to Intrado. Intrado will then route the call to an operator who will determine where the call should go in order to resolve the emergency in question. With this Vonage/Intrado system in place, Rhode Island emergency service dispatchers have been able to obtain callers’ call-back phone number in case the call gets disconnected, complete name, and location when they dial 9-1-1 via VoIP.
I will certainly keep you posted on any developments on this story as well as any VoIP regulation issues as soon as more info becomes available. Stay tuned in!
Intrado
www.intrado.com
Verizon
www.verizon.com
Vonage Holdings Corporation
www.vonage.com
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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit:
http://www.tmcnet.com/tmcnet/columnists/columnist.aspx?id=100006&nm=Johanne%
20Torres
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