Level 3 Expands Emergency 911 For VoIP Services

Level 3 Communications, Inc. announced that it will expand Emergency-911 (E-911) support to the majority of its voice over IP (VoIP) services customers by the end of this year.

Responding to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) recently-announced E-911 requirements, Level 3 will extend emergency number coverage to more than 70% of the United States this year and will add emergency calling features to its VoIP Local Inbound service.

The company also plans to implement an E-911 solution for "nomadic" VoIP applications and services that can be moved by subscribers from one location to the next. This mobility can make it difficult for nomadic users to remain in contact with the local telephone system's E-911 functions. Level 3's solution, based on the National Emergency Number Association's I2 initiative, provides a bridge between the company's VoIP users and the existing E-911 system and will update nomadic users' locations as necessary to remain connected.

"Since the FCC issued its recent order on E-911 for VoIP, we have seen a significant increase in interest from customers looking for a path to compliance with the FCC's rapid implementation requirements," Level 3 executive vice president of services Sureel Choksi said in a statement. "Having deployed extensive E-911 infrastructure over the course of the past eighteen months, Level 3 is in a unique position to assist our customers in meeting the FCC's requirements, and we believe these enhancements will further extend our leadership position as a network partner for VoIP providers across the industry."