Government mulls switch of emergency 911 networks to VoIP

Government is considering replacing the traditional communications infrastructure of the 911 emergency service with Voice-over-Internet-Protocol. This is brought about by inefficiencies in addressing emergency calls experienced by authorities during Hurricane Katrina in the recent months that led to numerous deaths, injuries and billions in property damages that could have been avoided with a more effective warning and response system.

During the natural calamity, people who needed emergency support were unable to contact 911 operators because outdated communications systems in their localities were down. At present, local governments are mandated to maintain and fund the emergency networks in their respective localities, and in the event that the lines in a certain area go offline, it is difficult to re-route calls to other public safety answering points (PSAPs). This is a limitation of a fixed line telecommunications network.

VoIP, meanwhile, being a communications infrastructure that runs through the Internet, can be more flexible. Given the same scenario of a PSAP going offline due to line troubles–but this time with a VoIP system–it is possible to seamlessly re-route the calls to 911 operators in other localities. Further, with a VoIP infrastructure, citizens should be able to reach 911 operators through means other than telephone calls—for instance, you can call for help using SMS or even instant messaging, should the need arise.

VoIP is changing the telecommunications landscape. Not only can we call areas afar cheap or for free, we can also have better control over the way we are able to reach our family, friends, colleagues, and correspondents. Gone are the days when telcos had a monopoly on what you could and could not do with your communication lines. With VoIP, you can expect flexibility.