Communication Solutions

VoIP service provider Vonage (News - Alert) announced Thursday that over 93 percent of its U.S. subscriber lines are now equipped with E911 access. This feature associates a physical address with the calling party’s telephone number automatically.

 

Vonage’s nomadic E911 system enables subscribers to reach a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), or 911 center, through the dedicated 911 network infrastructure. Via the system, a customer’s call is automatically routed to the appropriate 911 center, with the caller’s registered street address and telephone number appearing on the dispatcher’s screen.

 

Vonage had announced back in October that over 91 percent of its U.S. subscriber lines were equipped with E911 access. Since then, the provider has added enough counties to up the total number of calling centers with emergency 911 service to over 6400.

 

“Today over 93 percent of our U.S. subscriber lines have full E911 capability, which is a tremendous step for Vonage,” said Vonage’s CEO Michael Snyder in a statement. “Vonage will continue to work with the FCC (News - Alert), regulators, Congress and public safety until PSAPs across the nation are equipped with E911.”

 

Providers had to step up to the plate and get their E911 access up and running after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered they do so back in June last year. The agency gave the companies 120 days to complete the difficult task. Vonage worked closely with local Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), across the country to turn on E911 for as many customers as quickly as it could. Vonage is currently testing new PSAPs which are VoIP-ready every day.

 

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