Cell phones have been around a LOT longer than VoIP, yet to the best
of my knowledge no state attorney general has ever sued a cell phone
company over the way they handle 911 calls.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/personal_technology/11542733.htm
Who answers 911?
Technologies like cell phones and VoIP put emergency responders to the test
By Sam Diaz
Mercury News
It's the phone number that can help save a life.
But calling 911 and expecting help to come running is becoming more of
a gamble than ever before -- especially in a tech-savvy place like
Silicon Valley, where people rely heavily on cell phones and are more
likely to try out a new technology such as Internet phone service.
Now more than ever, the emergency phone system is being put to the
test. As mobile and Internet phone services spread, it's becoming
harder for 911 dispatchers to pinpoint a caller's geographic location,
a crucial element of 911 and speedy response times.
In the Bay Area, it's anyone's guess where a cell phone call to 911
will end up -- or how long it will take for a dispatcher to answer.
In most Santa Clara County cities, 911 calls from a cell phone will
end up at the local, city-run police dispatch centers. But dial 911
from Fremont or Menlo Park and it's more likely to end up at the
California Highway Patrol catchall dispatch center in Vallejo, where
it will be rerouted to a closer 911 center -- an extra step that could
slow emergency response times.
For those using one of the new Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP,
phone services, calls to 911 might not even make it to a dispatcher
because many of the providers aren't yet able to provide direct access
into the 911 network.
Full story at:
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/personal_technology/11542733.htm
Jack Decker (