The Senate has put the FCC deadline on hold with a piece of legislation passed late yesterday. Boy, with Democrats calling for an unusual closed session to talk about investigating pre-war intelligence, and all the partisan bickering, it's a wonder to me any legislation gets passed. In any event, the new law redraws the VoIP E911 guidelines the FCC has set giving more flexbile options to VoIP providers.
Importantly, the bill gives VoIP service providers access to the same Emergency 911 services as wireless service providers and also scolds the FCC for setting unreasonable compliance conditions (i.e. cutting service to cuistomers that do not acknowledge 911 limitations)
The IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005 was passed unanimously and sets new guidelines for the FCC. One of the most important parts of the bill is that it requires the FCC to formulate new rules for VoIP E911 within 120 days, which in effect erasies the FCC's impending November 28 compliance deadline. This deadline was the latest in a string of deadlines and extensions, but it appeared this deadline was the end of the road, which was causing great concern amongst the VoIP service providers
Another critical aspect of the new law is that it gives VoIP providers direct access to the traditional E911 network instead of forcing them into using third-party e911 solution providers or complex work-arounds. I wonder how this will affect Intrado, whose entire busines model is around offering e911 access?
"The legislation ensures that IP phone companies have access to E911 components that may be controlled by competitors, which the FCC order… did not do," said the committee's statement. "[It] provides the liability protection that public safety and industry groups need to be able to provide 911 service."
So, the much ballyhooed VoIP e911 problems talked up by newspapers, online articles, and bloggers were all for nought. Problem solved. Now can we move on and discuss more interesting things than e911?
android apple asterisk at&t blackberry cell phone cisco dell digium e911 facebook fcc google google talk gps im ip-pbx ipad iphone ipod itexpo ITEXPO lync microsoft mobile phone open source outage phone review sip skype sony unified communications verizon video video conferencing voip vonage wireless xbox 360
- Apple (280)
- Bittorrent (2)
- Call Center and CRM (48)
- Computer Hardware (183)
- Computer Software (71)
- Gadgets (650)
- Google (225)
- Home Entertainment (263)
- Internet (173)
- Linux (111)
- Microsoft (376)
- MovableType (48)
- News (187)
- Personal and Humor (118)
- Politics (9)
- Reviews (246)
- Security (2)
- Social Networking (42)
- Sports/Outdoor Technology (9)
- Tablets (32)
- Technology and Science (355)
- Unified Communications (471)
- VoIP (2285)
- Wireless (584)
- p2p (20)
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
Featured Videos