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For large enterprises and institutions that have made the switch to VoIP, answering the 911 question is mission-critical. While VoIP gives employees, students, and guests freedom to stay connected from anywhere, the complexities of ensuring 911 access abound.
When enterprises work with a partner that specializes in E911 for VoIP, they gain more than the most sophisticated 911 routing available today. They gain easy access to the future of 911 and the ability to deliver Next Generation (NG911), IP-based features that will never be possible using legacy 911 systems.
You betcha. And that’s what visitors to an office or campus expect when they dial 911. They’re not thinking about the cumbersome nature of traditional 911 infrastructure. Like anything else in their lives, consumers simply expect to be able to text a picture or snap and send a video to 911 and have the person on the other end quickly respond and know where they are. That’s what people expect, but the reality of legacy 911 systems is very different.
Next Gen 911, as an entirely VoIP-based connection, changes all of that–enabling the transmission of rich content and detailed, specific location information in the way that consumers think it should happen already.
While we’re talking about 911, it’s helpful to understand where it all started–and where it’s headed in the future (that “Next Gen” part). Click on the image below to enlarge.
NG911 allows consumers to connect to 911 service in all of the ways that are most natural to them, but it’s important for enterprises to adapt to the service now for a variety of reasons–both from a public safety and regulatory standpoint.
It’s the future. As more enterprises make the switch to VoIP, the question of 911 is easily solved in partnership with a Next Gen provider. Though only a small number of the nation’s 6,000 public-safety answering points (PSAPs) are VoIP-enabled today, it’s where the future is headed and it makes sense for enterprises to develop the infrastructure now to support these changes.
It’s more accurate. When an enterprise operates a MLTS (Multi-Line Telephone System), it’s critical that the enterprise keeps a granular database of associated location information by building, floor, and room. That way, emergency services personnel can easily reach the caller in the right location rather than rushing to the main office or building and then having to locate the caller somewhere else on campus.
It’s the law. Not only are enterprises mandated by the State Public Utilities Commissions to provide accurate location information for 911 callers, this is an area that continues to evolve with stricter laws and standards. One such law is Kari’s Law, which requires MLTS operators to not require a “9” dial out to initiate a 911 call.
Bandwidth's complete portfolio of 911 Access services makes it easy to build a robust 911 ready solution that works with your business requirements.