CRTC Issues VoIP Emergency Service (911) Decision

On April 4, 2005, as part of its promised regulatory framework under Public Notice 2004-2, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued Decision 2005-21 on emergency service response. (The Public Notice also indicated that the CRTC will issue decisions on the tariffs and the contribution regime applicable to VoIP and those decisions are expected later this year.) Under Decision 2005-21, fixed VoIP services must include the same level of emergency 911 service (either basic or enhanced) as provided by the local incumbent telephone company within 90 days of the decision. Nomadic or foreign exchange VoIP providers must deliver an interim solution at least comparable to basic 911 service, also within 90 days. All VoIP providers must include warnings and updates regarding any limitations in the emergency services accompanying the VoIP offering, as part of all packaging and marketing materials (including warnings on the phones themselves). According to the Bell Canada news release on the Bell Digital Voice service launched in advance of this decision and discussed in the article above, emergency response 911 service and directory 411 service are included. The news release does not indicate whether enhanced 911 is offered where the service has been configured as a fixed VoIP service. For the Bell Canada news release, visit: http://www.bce.ca/en/news/releases/bc/2005/03/30/72235.html For CRTC Public Notice 2004-2, see: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2004/pt2004-2.htm For CRTC Decision 2005-21 and the related news release, visit: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-21.htm; or http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/2005/r050404.htm For the Digital Home Canada article, "CRTC Issues 911 Ruling for VoIP Providers", see: http://makeashorterlink.com/?C5A216FDA Summary by: Nicholas J. Whalen