Among the issues holding back acceptance of VoIP is the perceived lack of 911 standards. As we at Internet Telephony magazine have been saying all along, it's simply a matter of time until these issue get worked out. Below, please find a recent news item from Volo Communications and how they are offering 911 service to their carrier customers throughout North America.
Volo Expands its 911 Emergency Service throughout North America
Volo First Wholesale VoIP Provider to Offer Ubiquitous 911 with Must-Have Features and Services
Orlando, Fla. March 21, 2005: Volo Communications, a leading global wholesale provider of advanced voice and data services, today announced it is the first wholesale Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to offer a ubiquitous 911 solution to CLECs, IXCs, cable and wireless operators, ISPs, and resellers throughout North America. Now available throughout the U.S. and Canada, Volo's 911 service known as i-911 now enables service providers to move VoIP service into a "primary" service offering.
A part of the company's VoiceOne Information Service (VOIS), the i-911 service uses Volo's data infrastructure and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA)'s XML standards, the i-911 service emulates the wireline 911 environment with the delivery of accurate location information and call back numbers.
A key feature of the i-911 service is that it can route emergency calls for the customer whose location is constant and the customer who often moves the location of his VoIP device. Customers can update their new location information in real time, so that their i-911 call will be delivered to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in the new location. Also, the i-911 service provides PSAPs the information they need to dispatch emergency services in the event that an emergency call is disconnected or the caller cannot speak. To date, 911 service for customers on the move has been problematic for VoIP providers because most 911 routers are not able to deliver an out of area code number to a PSAP.
Volo's Founder and CEO Shawn Lewis said, "As VoIP progresses in to becoming a primary line service, 911 has been at the top of the list of critical issues for VoIP providers to resolve. Now that we have expanded our i-911 services throughout the U.S. and Canada, our service provider customers can give consumers the peace of mind that their VoIP i-911 service is the most accurate and advanced in the industry."
