FCC establishes Net telephony E911 task force

The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday the creation of a task force made up of federal and state officials that will help enforce 911 service requirements for Internet telephony providers.

Individuals from the FCC and state public utility commissions will serve as members of the task force, and they will work closely with representatives from the public safety community, the FCC said.

The task force is expected to develop educational materials to ensure that consumers understand their rights and the requirements of the FCC's VoIP E911 Order, which was issued back in May. It will also come up with rules to help providers expedite compliance, and it will compile data and share best practice information.

"One of the FCC's core missions is to promote public safety," Kevin Martin, chairman of the FCC, said in a statement. "Our VoIP E911 rules are critical to achieving that goal. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the states to advance our common goal that all Americans, no matter their provider, have access to life-saving emergency 911 services."

Traditional landline phone providers and cellular operators are already required to offer E911, or enhanced 911. The service, which allows operators to locate phones dialing 911, has been credited with saving many lives. Some VoIP providers have already been offering some form of emergency service, but the calls have been indirect at best. The calls take a circuitous route often ending up at the administration offices of 911 call centers, and not emergency dispatchers.

Now the FCC has put pressure on VoIP operators to offer the same kind of service that landline phone providers and cellular operators already offer. On May 19, the FCC issued its VoIP E911 rules, giving VoIP operators 120 days to comply with E911 rules.

The rules require providers to deliver all 911 calls to customers' local emergency operators; give emergency operators the call-back number and location information of their customers, and inform their customers of their E911 capabilities and limitations of their service.

why

let us choose where 911 dials.. I would pay membership for a security force willing to respect my rights... let me choose who will be the judge...

rent-a-cops for the people!! america at large!
by the people for the people
to form a more perfect union
etc.. etc..

so whats up with the new emulation layer on the dual cores????

I am confident this is all hype in order to take away your privacy.

E911 is a ploy by the USA via the 911 org to get all online capable devices to have built in GPS. BIG BROTHER. They intend to charge for E911 access to the provider, they could just take that money and make a national E911 call center instead of placing unrealistic expectations on the small providers to track the where-abouts of potentially roaming users. With an enterprise using VOIP to save on long distance charges, it would be suprising to find out that they didnt have PSTN lines aswell. The enterprise can easily route 911 calls placed by their handsets out through their PSTN line.

If you have troubles believing this or this is all new to you, simply GOOGLE "e911 big brother" and see 1000's of articles by well respected authorities on this topic and technology.

I am confident this is all hype in order to take away your privacy.

Think about it.

[ntrsource]

E911??? "IS ALL ABOUT REVENUES" and not about E911

PRIVACY, WHO is talking about Privacy... This HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PRIVACY, THIS E911 IMPLEMENTATION IS ALL ABOUT REVENUES, TAX, TAX, TAXING.... are you getting it.

OK here we go again with the history of VoIP being changed in the favor of the politicians.
Forget the end consumers and the privacy act that whole thing went down the tube, let's focus on how we can get tax revenue from the VoIP user and what an invention being able to tax the E911 service as a cover up for saying VoIP is now being taxed. This is a MAJOR setback and I'm sure that our former FCC Chairman Mr. Michael Powel have a small grind on his face. It took him several years to convince everyone that VoIP should not be taxed due to the effect of innovation, BUT less than 6 month after he stepped down our nightmare has started and will be a setback for the entire industry. Folks this is like living in a Socialistic country, these guys make it work as nothing creative ever was done or said that should not be taxed. Leave us alone and we might catch up with the rest of the world, their use of the Internet, their innovation, their ability to give EVERYONE FAST SPEED at very low cost, how about SO. Korea, Denmark and many more are now experiencing more than 1 GB per sec., for less than $10 per month. Where do you think they are going? back worth? or... you guessed it right, they are running us over when it comes to the use of the Internet and smart implementation.
Yes the government, our government our selected officials has finally gotten together and with lighting speed decided that the E911 should be available to everyone and that they can be tracked should an emergency arrive? FOLKS I am telling you, it is the biggest cover up ever in the history of the Internet and VoIP.
How about us that lives in rural areas? we do not have any cell phone service within miles, we do not have access to any broadband not even satellite due to a mountain sitting on the wrong hill, how about all the falling trees and periodic fires, that removes our ability to call E911 NO MATTER WHAT SERVICE we subscribe to and you know what, who cares? you don't! so why should the politicians. Let us stay in the mountains, let us pay taxes for service that only works when it feels like it and yes give the attorneys a helping hand if an emergency arrives, let's go out there and find someone that is not in compliance with the fastest implemented law ever in the history of the VoIP and the Internet. One last footnote; not everyone has to comply? http://www.callonmydime.com is a VoIP solution without a handset which makes all the difference in the world.. Go and get your very own VIRTUAL Cell Phone today at NO COST, that's right, it is ABSOLUTELY FREE if you visit them today. http://www.callonmydime.com and please tell a friend.