47 C.F.R. PART 9—INTERCONNECTED VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL SERVICES
Title 47 - Telecommunication
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i)-(j), 251(e), and 303(r) unless otherwise noted.
Source: 70 FR 37286, June 29, 2005, unless otherwise noted.
The purpose of this part is to set forth the E911 service requirements and conditions applicable to interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol service providers. ANI. Automatic Number Identification, as such term is defined in §20.3 of this chapter. Appropriate local emergency authority. An emergency answering point that has not been officially designated as a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), but has the capability of receiving 911 calls and either dispatching emergency services personnel or, if necessary, relaying the call to another emergency service provider. An appropriate local emergency authority may include, but is not limited to, an existing local law enforcement authority, such as the police, county sheriff, local emergency medical services provider, or fire department. Interconnected VoIP service. An interconnected Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service is a service that: (1) Enables real-time, two-way voice communications; (2) Requires a broadband connection from the user's location; (3) Requires Internet protocol-compatible customer premises equipment (CPE); and (4) Permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network. PSAP. Public Safety Answering Point, as such term is defined in §20.3 of this chapter. Pseudo Automatic Number Identification (Pseudo-ANI). A number, consisting of the same number of digits as ANI, that is not a North American Numbering Plan telephone directory number and may be used in place of an ANI to convey special meaning. The special meaning assigned to the pseudo-ANI is determined by agreements, as necessary, between the system originating the call, intermediate systems handling and routing the call, and the destination system. Registered Location. The most recent information obtained by an interconnected VoIP service provider that identifies the physical location of an end user. Statewide default answering point. An emergency answering point designated by the State to receive 911 calls for either the entire State or those portions of the State not otherwise served by a local PSAP. Wireline E911 Network. A dedicated wireline network that: (1) Is interconnected with but largely separate from the public switched telephone network; (2) Includes a selective router; and (3) Is utilized to route emergency calls and related information to PSAPs, designated statewide default answering points, appropriate local emergency authorities or other emergency answering points. (a) Scope of Section. The following requirements are only applicable to providers of interconnected VoIP services. Further, the following requirements apply only to 911 calls placed by users whose Registered Location is in a geographic area served by a Wireline E911 Network (which, as defined in §9.3, includes a selective router). (b) E911 Service. As of November 28, 2005: (1) Interconnected VoIP service providers must, as a condition of providing service to a consumer, provide that consumer with E911 service as described in this section; (2) Interconnected VoIP service providers must transmit all 911 calls, as well as ANI and the caller's Registered Location for each call, to the PSAP, designated statewide default answering point, or appropriate local emergency authority that serves the caller's Registered Location and that has been designated for telecommunications carriers pursuant to §64.3001 of this chapter, provided that “all 911 calls” is defined as “any voice communication initiated by an interconnected VoIP user dialing 911;” (3) All 911 calls must be routed through the use of ANI and, if necessary, pseudo-ANI, via the dedicated Wireline E911 Network; and (4) The Registered Location must be available to the appropriate PSAP, designated statewide default answering point, or appropriate local emergency authority from or through the appropriate automatic location information (ALI) database. (c) Service Level Obligation. Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph (b) of this section, if a PSAP, designated statewide default answering point, or appropriate local emergency authority is not capable of receiving and processing either ANI or location information, an interconnected VoIP service provider need not provide such ANI or location information; however, nothing in this paragraph affects the obligation under paragraph (b) of this section of an interconnected VoIP service provider to transmit via the Wireline E911 Network all 911 calls to the PSAP, designated statewide default answering point, or appropriate local emergency authority that serves the caller's Registered Location and that has been designated for telecommunications carriers pursuant to §64.3001 of this chapter. (d) Registered Location Requirement. As of November 28, 2005, interconnected VoIP service providers must: (1) Obtain from each customer, prior to the initiation of service, the physical location at which the service will first be utilized; and (2) Provide their end users one or more methods of updating their Registered Location, including at least one option that requires use only of the CPE necessary to access the interconnected VoIP service. Any method utilized must allow an end user to update the Registered Location at will and in a timely manner. (e) Customer Notification. Each interconnected VoIP service provider shall: (1) Specifically advise every subscriber, both new and existing, prominently and in plain language, of the circumstances under which E911 service may not be available through the interconnected VoIP service or may be in some way limited by comparison to traditional E911 service. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, relocation of the end user's IP-compatible CPE, use by the end user of a non-native telephone number, broadband connection failure, loss of electrical power, and delays that may occur in making a Registered Location available in or through the ALI database; (2) Obtain and keep a record of affirmative acknowledgement by every subscriber, both new and existing, of having received and understood the advisory described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section; and (3) Distribute to its existing subscribers warning stickers or other appropriate labels warning subscribers if E911 service may be limited or not available and instructing the subscriber to place them on or near the equipment used in conjunction with the interconnected VoIP service. Each interconnected VoIP provider shall distribute such warning stickers or other appropriate labels to each new subscriber prior to the initiation of that subscriber's service. (f) Compliance Letter. All interconnected VoIP providers must submit a letter to the Commission detailing their compliance with this section no later than November 28, 2005.
Title 47: Telecommunication
PART 9—INTERCONNECTED VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL SERVICES
Section Contents
§ 9.1 Purpose.
§ 9.3 Definitions.
§ 9.5 E911 Service.
§ 9.1 Purpose.
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§ 9.3 Definitions.
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§ 9.5 E911 Service.
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