VoIP is taking off, but there are concerns over whether it is a suitable replacement for traditional phone systems given the current way 911 calls are handled.
In the US, the FCC ruled in May that VoIP calls to 911, the US emergency services number, should route to emergency dispatchers and advise them of the location of the caller. This becomes a requirement for US VoIP providers on November 29th.
However, VoIP providers are not pleased with the time frame they have been given to implement the necessary systems, Nuvio yesterday speaking out on the FCC's rule: "While we agree with the need for emergency services and want to be able to provide 911 to all of our customers, the FCC's order left a lot to be desired," Nuvio President and Chief Executive Officer Jason Talley told Reuters. He went on to say that rolling out a suitable 911 system for VoIP would be " a several-year process".
Wireless phone service providers had longer than four months to implement appropriate systems, so VoIP providers are not pleased with how long they've been given.
Nuvio has taken this to the US Court of Appeals, hoping to get a ruling before the November 29th deadline, otherwise it fears it may have to suspend its VoIP services.
