VoIP and 911
Cell phone users can reach 911 virtually everywhere. But in 60% of theUS, police and fire dispatchers can’t view the number and address of the call, which could be crucial if the caller can’t describe where she is or the call gets disconnected.
Under a 1999 federal law, that was supposed to change by the end of next year. But not all cell phone companies will have the necessary technology in their phones by then, and most 911 emergency centers still will not be able to recognize location signals from phones that have global positioning systems.
Jones explained that, as even newer technologies proliferate, such as voice over Internet phones (known as VoiP) and instant messages, 911 operators are further limited in tracking emergencies. NENA predicts there will be a 911 system based on Internet technology someday.
But local 9-1-1 systems are still based on outdated analog technology and have been awkwardly retrofitted to take wireless calls.
VoiP has been touted as the next big thing in communications and figures most prominently in the push to bridge new technology and emergency response. VoiP calls are placed using a traditional handset, but the signal is sent over a broadband Internet connection instead of twisted copper wires. VoiP customers can choose their own phone numbers and take them anywhere.
Emergency 911 centers, however, have a difficult time determining where the call is coming from. Read more »
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