Many emergency organizations have been switching over to a new enhanced 911 system, also known as, E911. This new system (currently used only in North America) links 911 callers with appropriate sources to deal with the emergency.
The FCC (News - Alert) has listed a ton of compliance and regulation issues for emergency organizations that must be met. According to the FCC, the E911 service was designed to improve the effectiveness and reliability of wireless 911 services by providing the responding dispatchers will more life-saving information.
These new regulations apply to all wireless licensees, broadband Personal Communications Services, and Specialized Mobile Radio licensees. Although there is a long list of implementations that need to be done, the FCC has divided the process into two phases. The first one requires all carriers to provide the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with the telephone number of the originator of a wireless 911 call. Carriers will have six months to implement this phase.
After phase one is complete, carriers will be required to begin providing more detailed information to the PSAP including latitude and longitude of the call and must be accurate within 50 to 300 meters. Carriers will have an additional six months to complete phase II.
One company, Voip-Pal.com has been working on patenting its own version of an enhanced 911 service, including routing, billing, and rating patents. Last week, the company announced it had received an additional two patents for its solutions.
“While the issuance of the second and third patents are very good news for the company and it’s shareholders, it is also a tribute to the innovation and expertise of the technical staff who developed these patented technologies,” said Dr. Thomas E. Sawyer, chairman and CEO of Voip-Pal.
“With these three patents, the fourth for while we have been given a Notice of Allowance, and the fifth being reviewed by the U.S. Patent Office, the board and management of Voip-Pal are very pleased at the position we hold in the VoIP telephony space. The world of VoIP communications will soon realize the strength of Voip-Pal’s technology.”
Edited by Blaise McNamee