Difference Between Traditional and PBX VoIP 911 Calls

The face of business communication is changing drastically with the introduction of Hosted PBX VOIP technology. With businesses becoming more and more virtual by migrating to cloud-hosted environments, communication between SMB will never be the same. However, there are some challenges this unique technology faces like 911 calling. The traditional and VOIP 911 calls are totally different.

Traditional 911 Calls

In the traditional phone systems, had a fixed address associated with a particular phone number. So whenever 911 was dialed, automatically the caller’s location was determined. 911 calls in traditional phone systems were sent to the nearest PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point).

As in traditional phone systems, the location of caller is found automatically, from the nearest PSAP an emergency personnel can immediately be directed to that location. If in case the call disconnects, then the PSAP can call you back.

VOIP 911 Calls

The Hosted PBX VOIP technology is totally different from the traditional PSTN. E911 or enhanced 911 provides emergency services to VOIP users. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has ensured that VOIP calls should meet E911 standards so that every user should be able to access emergency services irrespective of the technology they are using.

But still, there are some differences between the traditional and PBX VOIP 911 calls. These are:

The VOIP call may not connect you to appropriate PSAP. Even if it connects, it may not be able to transfer the required user’s location or information. If in case the VOIP user decides to migrate, then they should ensure that they update their service provider about their new location. As the PBX VOIP systems run on the Internet, the e911 call will not work during a power outage or during a loaded internet connection, if you don’t have a power backup.

For all those thinking of getting a Hosted PBX connection, ask your service provider to have a better understanding of the functionality and limitations of 911 emergency calling.