[asterisk-users] E911 Bill Announced

[TV Guy]

Nelson, Clinton, Snowe REIntroduce Voice Over Internet E-911 Legislation

Bill Will Prevent Tragedies By Making Sure Calls for Help Made On
Internet-Based Telephone Service Connect to Local 911

Washington, DC - Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL); Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton (D-NY), Co-Chair of the Congressional E-911 Caucus and Senator
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) today announced that they have reintroduced the
IP Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act.  The bill
addresses the need to ensure the growing number of Voice Over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) telephone service subscribers have full access to 911,
including Enhanced (E)-911 capability that allows 911 dispatchers to
trace the phone number and location of calls for help.

Unfortunately, we ve seen the tragic consequences when consumers can t
connect to 911 services through their Internet phone company,  Senator
Nelson said.  VoIP subscribers should feel confident that they will
have access to emergency services it could be a matter of life or
death.

It is critical that the millions of households using this technology
can reach 911 when tragedy strikes.  All emergency calls, whether made
on a land line, cell phone or Internet-based phone service, need a
rapid response.  It could truly make the difference in saving a life,
said Senator Clinton.

The inability of the emergency response network to keep pace with
voice over Internet protocol technology has left millions of VoIP
subscribers without guaranteed access to emergency services, Senator
Snowe said.  Innovation and technological advances should improve the
lives of Americans, not endanger them.  VoIP subscribers should not be
susceptible to substandard emergency service simply because they are
on the cutting edge of in home telecommunications technology.

VoIP telephone customers are connected to broadband internet lines
instead of traditional phone lines.  Ensuring that 911 calls made from
VoIP phones are properly routed and responded to has presented new
challenges to public safety officials.  There have been several
tragedies in which VoIP 911 calls were either routed to closed
business offices instead of emergency dispatcher or could not be
connected.

The Clinton-Snowe-Nelson bill will allow VoIP companies to patch into
the 911 networks operated by the traditional phone companies. The bill
also ensures that consumers are fully informed if their VoIP provider
cannot ensure that their 911 call will be properly routed in an
emergency.  Furthermore, the legislation tasks the National E-911
Implementation Coordination Office -- created under the ENHANCE Act
introduced by Senator Clinton and signed into law in 2004 -- to
develop a plan for a nationwide network and make recommendations to
Congress in order to ensure that all 911 VoIP calls are responded to
properly.