E911service offered by VoIP service provider

FCC has made it mandatory for VoIP service providers that they offer E911 service to their subscribers.

The basic 911 only connects you with the dispatcher while with E911 service your location or address information is send to the dispatcher in case you are not able to speak or are not aware of your location when you dial 911.

E911 service is provided by some companies at some areas and 911 at some other.

Survey conducted on the companies proved that almost 35 percent of them did not even provide basic 911 services at all. Even if this percent may sound alarming, most of these companies were small companies providing VoIP service only.

Very few cell phone service providers offered any E911 solution according to Frank Ohrtman, who is the author of “Softswitch: Architecture for VoIP,” and no E911 was provided in 11% of the US counties.

In terms of access to 911 and E911, the percentage is similar when compared to VoIP companies and wireless companies.

Which types of companies are ready with E911, currently, other than VoIP service providers? The traditional telephone companies were 67 percent ready with E911 while some type of a 911 solution was provided by all of them and this traditional telephone companies are inclusive of CLECs and RBOCs.

E911 readiness was100 percent with the cable companies when surveyed and they topped the list. Basic 911 services was provided by 48 percent of the companies focussing on VoIP only and only 19 percent were ready with E911.

How the survey was conducted

From July 21, 2005 to July 24, 2005 the websites of the each company were studied and sales representatives consulted. This is the way the survey was conducted.

It was assumed that the companies were not ready with E911 if their websites did not mention about the service or the sales representatives did not confirm about the same.

Some of the providers were listed as not having E911 service because even if the companies did offer some 911 service as it was not mentioned explicitly in their subscriber contracts. They were unable to connect these calls.

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What is the National Emergency Number Association? It is a non-profit corporation dedicated to 911, as it is the universal emergency number system of the America.

It is also known as NENA and is solely dedicated to the study, advancement and implementation of this 911 service.