[*] VOIP 9-1-1 CALLS CANNOT TERMINATE ON ADMIN NUMBERS

[Ron Dallmeier]

The following from Angus Telemanagement:

  VOIP 9-1-1 CALLS CANNOT TERMINATE ON ADMIN NUMBERS:  CRTC Telecom
Decision 2007-44 rules that VoiP providers must use “zero-dialed
emergency call routing service” (0-ECRS) to route 9-1-1 calls to public
safety answering points. Within 30 days, any providers that currently
route 9-1-1 calls to administrative lines or other low-priority numbers
must implement 0-ECRS, and carriers who provide services to VoIP
providers must amend their contracts to require compliance with the
ruling.

I take it that “zero-dialed emergency call routing service” (0-ECRS) means
if the client dials zero (or 9-1-1 and roaming), they should reach an
operator that can determine their location and forward to the appropriate
911 center.
Has there been any progress on creating a method of sending 911 calls to
the appropriate 911 center assuming the ITSP knows the location of their
client (perhaps a database of POTS lines that reach various 911 centers
that are not admin numbers but proper queues)?
Does anyone know if the 911 centers have a way of transferring a call to
another 911 center in the event that the wrong area was reached? Would
this not be a more reliable way of dealing with the problem?
Does this really change much for before for those ITSPs that only serve a
local area and have a PRI to a local LEC with operator and 911 services.

This brings me to another discussion we had at one of the meetings. Is
Skype allowed to offer Skype-In and Skype-Out in Canada? Where does the
CRTC draw the line of a pure Internet voice application and a VoIP
provider. I recall the - "if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck -
it must be a duck" test. If I have a Skype phone that recieves POTS calls
and more importantly can place POTS calls, do they not have to solve the
911 issues? There is also the issue of foreign ownership and control which
could be another obstical in Canada (but maybe not for long).

...Ron