911 Enable Helps VSPs Meet FCC Requirements for 911 Availability on VoIP

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)) recently adopted new 911 rules for VoIP service providers (VSPs), which were set out in the NET 911 Improvement Act signed into law by President Bush in July.

 

These rules require that VSPs have access to the 911 system and that their customers be able to make emergency calls that are routed directly to the local public safety answering point (PSAP). Such rules not only help to establish protection for the customer, they also set a standard in the industry to level the competitive playing field.

911 Enable (News - Alert) provides an Emergency Routing Service (ERS) that helps VSPs meet these requirements. This service is not only required by the federal government, the availability of this important feature can make the difference between creating a loyal customer and losing the base.

 

With connectivity to more than 5000 PSAPs nationwide, the Emergency Routing Service from 911 Enable provides the largest enhanced 911 coverage available on the market today. When a 9-1-1 call is placed, the VSP simply routes the call to the ERS.

The service is designed to automatically connect the caller to the appropriate PSAP based on their registered location. This approach ensures that the correct location data and callback number will appear on the dispatcher’s terminal.

Service providers have the ability to incorporate 911 Enable’s provisioning interface directly into their website. As a result, users can update and validate their locations in real-time, no matter where they might be. The ERS is ideal for residential VoIP providers and hosted IP-PBX (News - Alert) providers.

"Customers have come to expect 911 calling as part of their telephone service package," said Cliff Rees, president and CEO of XCast Labs, a Los Angeles-based VSP, in a Wednesday statement.

 

"As a VoIP service provider, we have a responsibility to ensure highly reliable 911 services to our customers at all times. By working with 911 Enable we were able to implement a cost-effective and reliable solution which met all NET (News - Alert) 911 regulations."

911 Enable also offers E911 solutions for organizations with private IP-PBX systems, helping them to meet state and local E911 obligations. The company’s solutions are certified with today’s leading IP telephony vendors, including Cisco (News - Alert), Avaya and Nortel.

VoIP service providers must understand that customers expect to receive the same level of service that they have been accustomed to with traditional landline service. When these services are missing, the perception of the value of VoIP is distorted.