If you have Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) service in the United States, you should have recently received a notice about whether or not your provider is patched into the 911 emergency network. If your VoIP doesn't provide 911 service, I hope you sent in the acknowledgement form they sent you, because otherwise, you're about to get your service cut off.

On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission plans to begin enforcing its requirement that Net phone services that connect to the public telephone network--known as "interconnected" services--receive acknowledgment from 100 percent of their customers about 911 limitations.

That means customers who haven't responded affirmatively by Aug. 29 must be cut off, the FCC said in a document released at the end of July.

Somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 people didn't return an acknowledgement and will have their service shut off starting on Tuesday. VoIP providers have until November 28th to give 911 access to all their customers, according to a mandate from the FCC.

If you use a direct computer-to-computer VoIP service like Skype, you are exempt from this requirement. Services like Skype are not possible to patch into 911, and they make it very clear that there is no way to dial 911 through their service.

UPDATE: Looks like the deadline has been extended to September 28th.

elicit77

USA

October 2003

AUG 29, 2005 01:06 AM

Sent mine in already.

dem_z

United Kingdom

June 2004

AUG 29, 2005 01:54 AM

This is an example of good regulation that benefits consumers.

Luckily there's been an extension 'til September 28th.

And there's the option for a "soft disconnect". People whose provider disconnects them when they don't reply to the 'you might have problems dialling 911' message will be unable to make any calls except, er, 911 calls.

The agency gave companies the option of turning off regular Internet phone service to a client but still allowing emergency calls to 911 to be made. As part of this so-called "soft" disconnect, a provider could also allow customers to place non-911 calls that would automatically be sent to the company's customer service center.

[Edited on Aug 29, 2005 9:54AM]

Helter

Chester, PA

OLD SKOOL

AUG 29, 2005 03:25 AM

eh, I was supposed to *read* that thing? lucky thing I don't take the trash out of my office very frequently...

Trevallion

Murfreesboro, TN

February 2004

AUG 29, 2005 06:34 AM

Hahaha. Maybe I should check that when I get home today.

malkav11

Saint Paul, MN

July 2003

AUG 29, 2005 11:59 AM

Having just signed up for VOIP, I think I went through this with a recorded voice. Hopefully I won't get any silly letters in the mail.

Really, though...who signs up for VOIP not knowing that there are certain 911-related risks they run?

The other companies I checked out were very clear about not offering true 911 service, and one of the reasons I went with Speakeasy is that they do, with the caveat that as your phone service is tied to your broadband service and you can't access either without electricity, losing either broadband or electricity will be problematic. But heck, my phone's already electric, and my broadband hasn't gone out since I switched to Speakeasy.

BOARDS:

TOPICS:

NEWS: Acknowledge Your VoIP 911 Status or Lose Service

Shal

Los Angeles, CA

October 2002

AUG 29, 2005 12:32 AM