Public safety groups said a VoIP E-911 bill (S-428) would help en...
Public safety groups said a VoIP E-911 bill (S-428) would help ensure full E-911 services for VoIP subscribers, according to testimony Tues. before the Senate Commerce Committee. S-428, introduced by Sens. Nelson (D-Fla.), Snowe (R-Me.) and Clinton (D-N.Y.) would…
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require every VoIP provider to give customers the E-911 services mandated in FCC regulations. The service would have to be comparable to the 911 requirements of wireless providers. The Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) hasn’t taken a formal position on the bill, but it “strongly” supports the bill’s goal, said Pres. Wanda McCarley in her prepared testimony. APCO supports the provision extending liability protection for public safety answering points (PSAPs) for VoIP 911 calls and a provision that allows state and local govts. to collect 911 fees from VoIP service providers, McCarley said: “We believe that VoIP providers should not be able to offer new services to new customers in geographic areas where the provider is not able to comply with the FCC’s 911 and E-911 requirements contained in the FCC’s Order in WC Docket No. 04-36 and 05-196.” The National Emergency Number Assn. (NENA) also supports the bill, Pres. Jason Barbour told the committee. Barbour asked Congress to appropriate funds for 911 grants that were created under a 2004 law and urged expansion of the program to include IP-based solutions. Barbour said progress has been made in deploying E-911 service for landline and wireless service with 97% of U.S. counties having access to wireline E-911 service. Nearly 85% of the PSAPs can receive both call back and location information from cell phones, he said. However, there are still many areas that lack E-911 service for landline, wireless or VoIP, Barbour said.