The nation's increasingly powerful VoIP industry learned this week that it must provide 911 capability for subscribers to its Internet phone services. The FCC order comes after Congress heard horror stories about customers unable to reach 911 numbers using Internet phone services. In one case a young child died of respiratory failure after her mother was unable to get through to an emergency services operator. VoIP companies have argued that it is not feasible for them to track users in the way traditional phone companies do. Unlike conventional phone service, which is tied to a fixed location, VoIP calls can be made from any location with Internet access, leading to serious logistical problems for providers.
- see this story from The Washington Post