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Are VoIP 911 Problems Life-Threatening?: Page 7 of 7

Cell phones have less of a problem, what with on-board GPS and triangulation from cell phone towers. But the location-detection with cell phones is far from perfect.

The political reason has to do with the Federal Communications Commission, which has voided all state laws that would require 911 access for VoIP phones. The FCC has said that it will issue national 911 requirements, but nobody knows how long that might take. It's your government at work, so assume a decade if the wind is right and the road free from obstacles.

Fortunately, the cell phone industry is already under an FCC mandate to provide real 911 service. And there appears to be building public pressure to make the VoIP industry more responsive, and at least find a sensible way to handle emergencies. But for now think twice before giving up your plain old telephone service.

Wayne Rash is a writer based near Washington, DC. He was one of the first to create secure networks for the military and for other government organizations, and he has written about security for over twenty years. You can reach him at [email protected]. Contact the editor of Security Pipeline at [email protected].