April 19, 2005
Quick! Go Next Door & Call 911!
The battle between the states and VoIP still rages over 911 routing and you can add New York to the ranks. Because VoIP exists on the internet and has no "hard line", 911 forwarding is by no means easy or cheap. One way is to go through telephone companies who own the lines, but they are often unwilling to allow the access they need to the preexisting 911 lines. In order to gain access, 911 calls from VoIP users must be routed to administrative numbers. Unfortunately, it does not go directly to a dispatcher, but to an operator that "should" route your call to where it needs to be. This method has gotten scrutiny because the human factor is by no means perfect.
While it may seem that PBX companies are heartless, they see VoIP as a strong competitor and are trying to cut them down at every instance. The 911 feature is really the only thing that they can hold over their heads with ease since they can not compete with costs. At the current moment however, the states are blocked from regulating VoIP in any way due to the FCC. Even though Texas sued successfully in one case, California has dropped their suit. According to: ConsumerAffairs.com:
VOIP providers have been growing rapidly but the 911 issue is likely to become a major stumbling block, many analysts think.
Read more at: 911 Issue Becoming an Emergency for VOIP Providers
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