On Jan 24, 2007, at 11:03 AM, Chris Louden wrote:
On 1/24/07, Brian Friday <[email protected]> wrote:
Please do not continue to spread this nonsense. This is exactly the
I did say this was just my 2 cents.....
Yes you did, then you used your experience to imply that your
knowledge was more than just opinion.
your VoIP phone doesn't automagically shut off nor does your land
line phone, heck often the same phone you used for your land line is
in use for your VoIP service.
Go ahead call 911 form a land line, when they answer just tell them
your doing an ALI test and they will tell you your address.
Now do it with a cell/VOIP phone. How long did it take you to get
through? Did you have to go through an automated system? Were they
able to give you your address when you told them you were doing an ALI
test?
This is my whole argument against VOIP right now. I simply can't get
right through if i needed to in most areas.
911 has never been a service which has ever said they are capable of
handling 100% of all incoming calls. That is their goal but they
often do not have the resources to get anywhere close to that goal.
Ever try to reach 911 during/after a earthquake? Land lines have
exactly the same problem getting to 911 services as VoIP phones
because they ultimately both go through exactly the same routing
trees. If the 911 service is busy its busy. Thats why they have
information like this link here http://www.911dispatch.com/
911/911tips.html
Also your arguing that a physical incapacity would make the land line
"better" when in fact the land line in some locations rural mostly
has the same issues. You have to give the operator your number, your
address etc. That type of 911 service is what they call "basic" 911
service. Read up on this service here http://www.fcc.gov/911/basic/
Again how exactly have you tested this? Have you actually had VoIP
installed in your areas since the FCC mandated 911 compliance? While
I have no problem with your argument you need to direct people to do
the research themselves or spend the time to ensure your knowledge
even anecdotal is current. I do not expect it to be if your not
working in the telecomm industry, and specifically dealing with VoIP
deployments. VoIP has never been a "100%" perfect solution for any
person and it is not something I would recommend to everyone. If I
was asked I would point the person to the information they needed to
make the best decision for themselves.
If you have ever tried VoIP you know that they require you to tell
them exactly where your phone is placed. It is for this reason that
wireless VoIP phones are not readily available in the US even though
Asia has them everywhere.
The last data I saw on Vonage which was quite a while ago was that
less then 30% of their subscribers had direct access to a 911
operator. Meaning they had to go though an automated prompt system to
get someone one the line. Which can be quite difficult to do when you
are having a heart attack or shot.
If you had looked at the link I attached you would have seen that
Vonage has 83% of their network fully compliant. Your data is no
longer correct and hasn't been been for a very long time in
"internet" terms. Before you continue I recommend you actually read
the services you are considering "bad", vonage has gotten a lot of
bad press from the telecomm giants for offering services they
themselves are starting to offer. Their website has a lot of useful
information specifically I would look at http://vonage.com/
features.php?feature=911 and http://vonage.com/help.php?
category=29&nav=2
Colleges/Universities can be a different issue all together, many
still have key based systems. All generally intercept 911 calls and
then route them to the police as needed. Most also use a small DB that
just list DNs x2222 is (BLDG 4, 2ND FL, Rm 202). Which at some level
is manually updated and prone to error.
WRONG! If a college or University is using VoIP or land lines it can
indeed be fined for not keeping its information up to date. There is
no difference in issue, Colleges and Universities are not allowed to
"avoid" compliance with 911 requirements. Everything is prone to
error thats why many Universities have been going to an automated
system that depends on port locations, appropriate network
documentation and actual user intervention to verify the placement of
VoIP phones. These systems might be less or more complex then the
same systems referenced in the Vonage links which users are required
to visit if they are moving their phone.
While these Colleges/Universities may route a call to their on campus
security department that does not eliminate the need for the 911
information required by law. Some Universities route their 911 calls
to their local security because those security officers are law
enforcement. Others only route calls to their local security during
business hours.
Chris, I apologize if my tone is caustic but please do your research
on this topic if your going to talk about it even if your offering
your 2-cents. This is a very serious issue and is an issue where
changes are occurring rapidly more importantly mistakes can very
exceptionally costly.
- Brian
