Net Telephone Services In Trouble - 911 FCC Rules UpheldRichard A. Chapo |
Net telephone service providers are facing a huge problem. A court has upheld FCC regulations requiring the voice over internet protocol providers to provide 911 services.
911 Rules
As you know, traditional telephone companies provide 911 call services to customers. Under long established laws, the traditional telephone companies are required to automatically route such calls to a geographically appropriate area and deliver the originating phone number and address of the call. Net telephone services haven't done this in the past as the technical reading of the regulations didn't require them to. Now the regulations do and it is causing problems.
VOIP net telephone services are having severe difficulty complying with the FCC regulations. The calls are not routed through a traditional telephone line structure, which makes it very hard to determine the original calling number and address. On top of this, it is extraordinarily difficult to route the calls to the appropriate geographic emergency phone call center. Throw in politics and you have a boondoggle in the making.
911 In A Digital Age
In many cases, government agencies fail to appreciate the complexities of the Internet and digital technology. They have a habit of issuing rules and regulations that are either antiquated or impossible to implement. The FCC and FTC are famous for doing so, particularly since the agencies seem to have the technical sophistication of dinosaur. On the issue of 911 rules for net telephone services, however, the FCC has acted appropriately.
911 is a critical service that must be made available to the public. It performs a service that is both needed and necessary. As the net telephone services seek bigger shares of the commercial market, they must also assume larger responsibility for the services they provide. This is particularly true for 911 services.
911 emergency call centers help save lives. In health risk situations, time is almost always a critical component in the outcome. Given as much, the FCC has acted appropriately in requiring net telephone services to provide 911 services to customers.
About the author:
Richard A. Chapo is a San Diego business lawyer with
http://www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com - a San Diego business
law firm in San Diego, California.
The latest information and news on VoIP :
A new report is again indicating that The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is being devalued due to illegal competition from long distance companies offering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Polycom launches SoundPoint IP 430 VoIP phone (CIOL)
NEW DELHI:Polycom, Inc., provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, has added the SoundPoint IP 430 phone to its SIP based voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) desktop phones portfolio. The newly launched phone is a two-line phone with a full-duplex speakerphone and graphical LCD.
Samsung SGH-P200 GSM/VOIP Hybrid Phone Sighted at FCC (AnandTech)
Cellular and VOIP services all in one handheld...
Consumers to flock to VoIP (theRegister via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
The traditional home phone number could become a thing of the past as more and more people opt for fixed-mobile services and VoIP. That's according to ...
VoIP Will Kill Off Traditional Landlines In Europe: Report (Small Biz Pipeline)
VoIP will kill off the use of traditional landlines in Europe, due to the appeal of new fixed-mobile telephone services, says two new reports by JupiterResearch.
X-Lite SIP VoIP Softphone Download (DesignTechnica)
Today's daily download is X-Lite SIP VoIP Softphone. Users who subscribe to a VoIP or Broadband service will be able to use this description.
Ennovative Commerce Solutions Installs VoIP from TelCove (CommsDesign)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Ennovative Commerce Solutions, a Jacksonville-based developer of enterprise-class marketing and sales solutions, has installed a new, company-wide VoIP solution from TelCove, a leading provider of business critical telecommunications services to enterprise customers and carriers.
Consumers to flock to VoIP (The Register)
All change The traditional home phone number could become a thing of the past as more and more people opt for fixed-mobile services and VoIP.?
Tiscali unveils VoIP service (The Register)
VoIPtastic Tiscali - which recently clocked up one million broadband lines in the UK - has unveiled details of a new VoIP service.?
Fusion Softphone Turns Computer into VoIP Telephone (IT Observer)
Fusion Telecommunications International has announced that it has completed the first version of its proprietary computer-based efonica telephone, or 'softphone,' a software application that transforms a personal computer into a VoIP telephone. Concurrent with the launch of Fusion?s new, efonica-branded VoIP services later this month, customers will be able to download a beta version of the