CONSUMER NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS  


Complain about a product or service

Small Claims Guide | Class Actions | Lemon Law | FAQ | Resources | Newsletters | Spanish
Automotive    Education    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Shopping    Travel   
NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

911 Issue Becoming an Emergency for VOIP Providers





April 19, 2005
New York is among the states thought to be looking closely at marketing claims made by Vonage and other Internet telephone companies. Texas sued Vonage last month, claiming it does not adequately disclose that does not provide enhanced 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

911 calls from Vonage and many other Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) providers are not routed directly to emergency dispatch centers with a read-out displaying the caller's location. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed his suit after a Houston-area caller allegedly failed to get through to 911 to report that her parents had been shot during a robbery.

An Abbott spokesman said other states have expressed interest in the case New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office has confirmed that it is looking at the issue "in greater detail."

VOIP providers have been growing rapidly but the 911 issue is likely to become a major stumbling block, many analysts think.

Tapping into the existing 911 networks is costly and technically challenging. One of the attractions of VOIP service is that it is as portable as a laptop -- a customer can access his local number from anywhere on earth through the Internet. Thus, a caller whose account corresponds to a 213 Los Angeles number could actually be in Hong Kong or London.

Local phone companies have not been eager to give VOIP providers easy access to the 911 system, which is usually owned by the local Bell company and financed largely by the 911 surcharge paid by landline and, in most states, cell phone customers.

In most cases, this means the VOIP companies wind up routing 911 calls to administrative numbers at the emergency call centers. In theory, the administrative operator should route emergency calls to the 911 dispatcher but the system is not foolproof as it relies on human intervention.

States are blocked from regulating -- and taxing -- Internet telephone by the Federal Communications Commission. But as the Texas lawsuit demonstrates, that doesn't stop attorneys general from suing the VOIP companies on consumer protection issues.



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.


Consumer News

May 16 2008

Recent Recalls & Safety Alerts

READER SERVICES

Print, Email & More

Subscribe

Free consumer newsletters
Sign up now!



Back to the top |

Advertisement


Home | Rogues Gallery | Good Guys | Complaint Form | News | Recalls | Search | Video | FAQ |
Consumer Resources | Small Claims Guide | Lemon Law | Newsletter | Contact Us
Advertise With Us | Testimonials | Newsroom | RSS Feeds | Radio | Job Postings




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. 

Copyright © 2003-2008 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.