Summary of FCC Order

The FCC Order WC No. 04-36 & 05-196 requires the VSP to provide Enhanced 911 service to those entities served by a Selective Router by November 28, 2005. E9-1-1 is not an optional enhancement. The VSP may satisfy this requirement by interconnecting through a third party, CLEC, or another solution that allows the VSP to deliver Selective Router interconnection. VoIP providers were given 120 days to comply, and the order does not dictate the technical means by which providers must come into compliance. VoIP providers may interconnect directly with the incumbent LECs’ 9-1-1 network or purchase access to this network from competitive carriers and other third-party providers.

Key provisions of the VoIP E9-1-1 order include:

• Interconnected VoIP providers must deliver all 9-1-1 calls to the customer’s local emergency operator. This must be a standard, rather than optional, feature of the service.

• Interconnected VoIP providers must provide emergency operators with the call back number and location information of their customers (i.e., E9-1-1) where the emergency operator is capable of receiving it. Although the customer must provide the location information, the VoIP provider must provide the customer a means of updating this information, whether he or she is at home or away from this location.

• Interconnected VoIP providers must inform their customers, both new and existing, of the E9-1-1 capabilities and limitations of their service.

• The incumbent LECs are required to continue to provide access to their E9-1-1 networks to any requesting telecommunications carrier. They must continue to provide access to trunks, selective routers, and E9-1-1 databases to competing carriers. The FCC will closely monitor this obligation.

Important Dates of the VoIP E9-1-1 Order:

07/29/05 -- Effective date

08/15/05 -- NPRM comments due

09/12/05 -- Reply comments due

11/28/05 -- Deadline for customer notification requirements

11/28/05 – VSP Compliance Reports due

11/28/05 -- 120 day deadline for compliance

Download entire FCC- FIRST REPORT AND ORDER AND NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (90 - pages)