Actually, this is a real good question. Who would be liable when the
customer picks up the phone and dials 911 and nothing happens?
Sam Tetherow wrote:
One interesting question would be what happens if the POTS line is
down, but Matt's wonderful wireless network is up? ;) The customer
would have voice service but no 911... Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
Sam Tetherow
Sandhills Wireless
Matt Larsen - Lists wrote:
Lets take a step back...
I never wrote anything about offering VOIP or 911 or E911 - I merely
mentioned selling an Asterisk based phone system that is capable of
redirecting long distance calls over VOIP. The customer that I
mentioned is not getting their long distance through my VOIP system,
they are getting it through another ITSP. The customer has four
POTS lines and the 911 dialplan goes through those four lines for
911, and those lines are the responsibility of the ILEC to take care
of 911 - e911 or otherwise. I have no more responsibility than any
other PBX vendor who installs a system that uses POTS lines.
Who is really at a lot of risk? The VOIP providers that are
promising virtual PBX services over the Internet. A local PBX unit
with at least one local line is going to always be able to get out,
whether the Internet is working or not. The virtual PBX services are
heavily dependent on the Internet connection working (and working
solidly) and are toast if the connection is running poorly or
completely out.
FWIW, I will have the same e911 functionality on my VOIP offering
that the CLECs and several major VOIP carriers are using. Turns out
it isn't that hard to get setup, it just costs a fair amount to get
setup the first time around.
Matt Larsen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Matt Liotta wrote:
On Jun 24, 2006, at 10:15 PM, Butch Evans wrote:
If you look at what Matt Larsen posted, you will see that (as I
have stated twice and he stated originally) that his PBX SUPPORTS
E911. You are either forgetting that or ignoring it. Here is his
post again:
http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/2006-June/026359.html
Actually, he never wrote E911 and instead wrote just 911, which is
not the same thing. A POTS line may or may not support E911
depending on the area one is in. Interestingly, VoIP providers are
required to support E911 even in areas that E911 is not supported by
POTS lines.
Some areas even have both POTS and VoIP lines that are E911
compliant, but the PSAP is not E911 capable. One might argue
successfully that the VoIP provider is not compliant if they sell
service in such an area. Unfortunately, the closest thing to a fact
I have seen in this regard is an FCC comment stating that VoIP
providers are not allowed to market services in areas that are not
E911 capable.
The reason for the POTS line is so that 911 calls FROM THAT
BUSINESS (BUILDING) can be directed that way. The system Matt
described does support E911. Not sure how you are not seeing
that. The only way it does not support E911 is if the building is
over a certain number of square feet (I don't care to look up the
number), in which case, he will require a POTS line for the other
part of the building, or get the POTS provider to accept his
ANI/ALI information. You still have not made a case that what he
is doing is not compliant. It just looks like arguing to me. :-)
I've written specifically that it doesn't matter if you have a POTS
line if there is VoIP service involved. If there is a VoIP phone
line that is capable of making calls to the PSTN then that line MUST
support E911. No where has the FCC stated that having a separate
POTS line that does support E911 along side the VoIP line(s) is
compliant.
I agree that providing a POTS line to a business for the purpose of
911 follows the spirit of the regulation, but unfortunately hasn't
been shown to actually be legal.
BTW, I am not saying you are wrong here, but you have not convinced
me (or apparently some others) that Matt is wrong. You are
obviously very informed here, so please explain exactly HOW the
system Matt described is NOT compliant.
See above.
-Matt
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