CONSUMER NEWS RECALLS COMPLAINT FORM SCAM ALERTS

Small Claims Guide \| Class Actions \| Lemon Law \| FAQ \| Resources \| Newsletters \| Spanish
Automotive Education Electronics Family Finance Health Homeowners Shopping Travel

FCC Requires VoIP Carriers to Provide Enhanced 911 Service

May 19, 2005
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission has issued a rule requiring Internet telephone providers to supply enhanced 911 (E911) emergency calling service to their customers. At least three states have taken legal action against Vonage, the largest VoIP provider, charging it did not adequately disclose the limitations of its 911 service.

VOIP-911
911
• FCC Wants Enhanced 911 Service For Cell Phone, VoIP Users
• Vonage 911 Caller Put On Hold While House Burns Down
• FCC Requires VoIP Carriers to Provide Enhanced 911 Service
• FCC Ready to Require VoIP Carriers to Provide 911 Service
• Vonage To Tie Into Verizon's 911 System
• Connecticut Sues Vonage Over 911 Claims
• Michigan Warns Vonage About 911
• VOIP 911 Moves To Front Burner At FCC
• 911 Becoming an Emergency for VOIP Providers
• SBC, Vonage in Stand-Off Over 911
• Texas Sues Vonage over 911 Access

The FCC's order applies to VoIP providers who provide their users with a standard telephone number. It does not apply to other IP-based services -- including instant messaging, gaming or voice services -- that are not connected to the public telephone network.

Under the order:

• Interconnected VoIP providers must deliver all 911 calls to the customer's local emergency operator. This must be a standard, rather than optional, feature of the service.
• Interconnected VoIP providers must provide emergency operators with the call back number and location information of their customers (i.e., E911) where the emergency operator is capable of receiving it. Although the customer must provide the location information, the VoIP provider must provide the customer a means of updating this information, whether he or she is at home or away from home. • By the effective date, interconnected VoIP providers must inform their customers, both new and existing, of the E911 capabilities and limitations of their service. • The incumbent local exchange carriers are required to provide access to their E911 networks to any requesting telecommunications carrier. They must continue to provide access to trunks, selective routers, and E911 databases to competing carriers.

Interconnected VoIP providers must comply with these requirements, and submit to the Commission a letter detailing such compliance, no later than 120 days after the effective date of the Order. The actual effective date will be sometime this fall, as the order does not become fully effective until a public comment period expires.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

May 17 2008

READER SERVICES

Print, Email & More

Free consumer newsletters
Sign up now!

Back to the top |

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice. ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof.