New law clears the way for VoIP calls to 911
The recently signed New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 assures that Voice over Internet Protocal (VoIP) customers will have quick access to 911 services, according to the Fairfax, Va.-based International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). IAFC and other associations have been lobbying for the act for the past four years.
VoIP providers had sought to delay providing 911 connections to new customers for up to a year after they begin their service, but the act codifies a Federal Communications Commission rule requiring IP-enabled carriers to provide the connection, according to IAFC. The act also includes liability provisions for VoIP and future technologies, specifies that state and local governments may impose fees on VoIP and wireless service in support of 911, and requires a report to Congress from the National 911 Program Office about the migration to the next generation 911 system.
More information is available at
www.iafc.org.