AT&T Rolls Out E-911 For Broadband VoIP

AT&T is introducing enhanced 911 (E-911) functionality to its CallVantage voice over IP (VoIP) broadband telephone service.

Expected to be complete by midsummer, the E-911 implementation will make the CallVantage service compliant with the recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order on E-911 services, though the carrier began the deployment in April. Customers in markets where the infrastructure has been upgraded to support E-911 will receive the service automatically. The exception will be customers who use "out-of-area" telephone numbers as their primary VoIP lines. Customers will be notified when the service is activated.

"AT&T is proud to be making good on its commitment to deliver an E-911 solution to our AT&T CallVantage subscribers," AT&T senior vice president for Internet Telephony Cathy Martine said in a statement. "It has long been AT&T's heritage to serve the nation's public safety needs and the introduction of E-911 for many of our VoIP users is the culmination of a lot of hard work."

E-911 provides more detailed information to emergency dispatchers. In addition to a voice connection, it delivers the caller's name, telephone number and address to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in the event of an emergency. The FCC ordered VoIP providers to supply E-911 services to customers in a decision last May.