By By MELISSA GODSEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Federal Communications Commission is requiring VoIP providers to place a warning to customers about calling 911, according to Dave Agens, Berrien County's 911 director.
VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, is an Internet connected telephone service that runs through cable Internet rather than using a traditional telephone line. The Internet does not give a specific location like a telephone landline does, and it is important that a customer understands how this works, Agens said.
Residents who choose to use a VoIP provider must register the service so 911 knows their location, Agens said.
"The landline service we have is directly synchronized with landline telephones and that works well," he said. "If people do register through a Web service, make sure the address information is accurate."
The information about location needs to be accurate so we can apply it to a mapping system that helps us get directions to the callers locations, Agens said.
The Internet service provider usually provides software that will prompt the new user to register, but if not it will provide a warning telling the customers how to register on their own, Agens said. If a customer moves the individual needs to report the new address for 911 purposes.
The amount of people who have been calling 911 from a VoIP is currently not a lot, he said.
"It is increasing as that part of the phone service expands," Agens said. "Many of these vendors have been working voluntarily with the FCC to allow them to route their calls to the right 911 center."
Some tips for VoIP subscribers offered from a consumer report by the Attorney General Mike Cox:
Provide an accurate physical address to the VoIP service provider;
Verify that 911 can be accessed by checking the VoIP provider's Web site. Do no call 911 to test access;
Be sure to activate the emergency-calling feature of the service plan, if applicable;
Have an understanding of the limitations of your 911 services;
Inform all who will be using the VoIP service about the relevant limitations;
Consider keeping a landline telephone for 911 calls.
For more information about VoIP, visit www.berriencounty.org or the FCC Web sites www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/voip.html and www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/voip911.html.