Emergency Services and VoIP Callers

As Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone services move into the consumer mainstream, emergency service providers are becoming more vocal about the potential difficulties in delivering emergency services to VoIP users. Many of the concerns stem from the difficulty in locating VoIP users. The same technology that routes VoIP calls through the Internet to avoid long distance phone charges makes it almost impossible to determine from where the call is being made. This inability to trace a call raises the risk that a user trying to reach a 911 centre may not be connected to emergency services in the same vicinity as the caller or the 911 centre will not be able to locate a caller who did not provide a precise description of their location. Some industry observers have suggested that VoIP providers may find solutions to these problems by examining the way in which similar issues were dealt with by mobile phone providers who have already faced the challenge of 911 availability and call routing. In response to similar problems being faced by VoIP providers in the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has suggested ways to automatically identify the location of all VoIP callers, including the creation of a database of all Wi-Fi access points in the United States, engaging in "mapping and triangulation" of those access points, compiling an "access jack inventory" for wired VoIP users, or even mandating that VoIP phones include GPS receivers and broadcast their exact latitude and longitude. Privacy watchdogs have expressed concern over the FCC's proposed solutions. There is currently no indication that the CRTC will require the implementation of such technology in Canada. For more information, visit: http://news.com.com/2010-1071_3-5830805.html Summary by: Sue Diaz