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Although there haven’t been any serious incidents to date, it’s only a matter of time before someone in an emergency fails to contact 911 dispatch using VoIP (voice over IP). Although most VoIP providers (such as Vonage and Lingo) do provide a solid 911 or E911 service, there are a handful of small providers which do not.

Enhanced 911 (E911) is the service many VoIP providers offer their customers for emergency calls. E911 is in many ways superior to traditional 911 as it automatically displays the name and address of the caller.

However, if the service is not properly set up or the user has not given their VoIP provider their details, then the service will ultimately fail in the case of an emergency. This is why it is vital that VoIP users understand that they must setup this feature as soon as their VoIP service is running-particularly if there is no land line at the residence and the VoIP line is the only one available.

VoIP users can schedule a test so ensure that their VoIP service is capable of making emergency calls. However, it is important that people do not call an emergency number (such as 911) to perform the testing.

In May 2005, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a set of rules that asked VoIP providers to ensure that all customer 911 calls were directly connected to a caller’s location. However, these regulations are yet to be formally adopted on a federal level. In time though, particularly as VoIP grows in popularity, strict regulations will be put in place which will force every VoIP company to ensure that their customers have a solid and reliable 911 service.

For those of you who are currently using VoIP or thinking about upgrading to VoIP should not be worried. There is yet to be an incident where emergency dispatch fails to arrive at the scene because of a VoIP mix up. But it is very just important that you ensure that your E911 service is functioning properly-before it’s too late.

You’ve just read “Emergency Calls, E911 and VoIP” by Julian Marcellino. Julian is a VoIP expert-for more information on VoIP and VoIP providers, as well as comparisons and FAQ-please visit: EntirelyVoip.com

free voip call to mobile