E911 Expert Warns of VoIP E911 Issues

By CINDY WAXER
TMCnet Contributing Editor

The VoIP industry may have faced yesterday's FCC-imposed deadline in stride; however, it isn't entirely in the clear, according to Stephen Meer, chief technology officer and co-founder of Intrado, a provider of integrated data and telecommunications solutions.

Offering words of warning during a Monday webcast, Meer said although the efforts of VoIP providers to prepare for the FCC’s E911 November 28 deadline were essentially a "substantial success story," he warned that there are still countless obstacles to overcome before achieving seamless E911 service delivery.

"The ease that the American public enjoys in picking up the phone and dialing those three simple digits and having an expectation that help will be headed their way is not done by accident….There are operational considerations and problems to resolve and coordination issues that happen every minute of every day," said Meer, a recognized expert in 911 technology and public policy.

One of the critical issues relating to the deployment of VoIP E911 is the need to develop standardized coverage criteria. In discussions with the FCC, Meer has provided guidance regarding the elements required for nationwide VoIP 911 coverage. He has stressed that selective router connectivity alone, as indicated in the FCC VoIP Order, falls short in the current mandate of delivering an Internet telephony based 911 call to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and is not consistent with the processes required for traditional 911 wireline call delivery today.

During the webcast, Meer outlined his position on the matter which is that VoIP E911 coverage must not only consist of selective router interconnection with the 911 data system, but should also acknowledge the provisioning and delivery of a valid 911 address in the event of a 911 call.

In the end, Meer offered this advice to those in the process of tackling an E911 rollout: "Ask tough questions as you’re evaluating what does readiness mean, what does turn on mean and what does access mean and understand that there are very real service requirements to make 911 work effectively."

-----

Cindy Waxer is a Toronto-based freelance journalist specializing in business and technology. She has written for publications including TIME, Fortune Small Business, Business 2.0, Computerworld, Canadian Business, and Workforce Management. To see more of her articles, please visit Cindy Waxer’s columnist page.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]