E911

E911 (Enhanced 911) is a very important feature that is offered by Cabertel to its customers. Customers can dial 911 from one of their IP desk phones or analog phones connected through an Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) to connect to the Emergency Services (police, fire, medical). In this article we will discuss the E911 feature along with some important factors that you should be aware of.

Cabertel E911 Feature

Softphone Apps

First of all, please note that if you only use a Softphone App with Cabertel phone services for making and receiving calls (for example Bria), then you do NOT have the E911 feature or the ability to dial 911 through the Softphone App. If you ONLY use a Softphone App with Cabertel services and you are in need of the Emergency Services you should dial 911 on your native cell phone or other service you have access to.

IP Desk Phones and Analog Phones

The E911 feature is included free with Cabertel phone service plans for all customers who utilize IP desk phones and/or analog telephones for their phone service through us. Anyone can dial 911 from these phones and there are no additional digits you have to enter, just simply dial 911. However, please do not dial 911 unless it is a real emergency.

A Quick Overview of How E911 Works

When you dial 911 your call is routed to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) where a 911 dispatcher will answer your call. With Enhanced 911 your address (location) information is available to the PSAP via a database lookup. When you sign up for Cabertel phone service you must provide your location information for the E911 service feature.

Important Factors to Know About E911 and VoIP

The most important factor to note is that dialing 911 through a VoIP system (whether Cabertel or any other VoIP provider) has some distinct differences to standard 911 dialing through a traditional POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) landline. The following summarizes the important factors for you to be aware of:

Location Information:

It is really important that you provide accurate address location information of your workplace (whether working from home or an office) when you signup for Cabertel phone service. In the event that you ever have to dial 911 for an emergency you want the correct location information to be provided.

Moving Your Equipment:

One of the benefits of VoIP technology is the portability and ability to take your phone with you to work at home or in a different location. This is very important to remember in case of an emergency. If you are working from home instead of the office you should use your home phone service or cell phone to call 911. If you do use your business phone be sure to advise them of your exact location.

Moving Office:

If you ever move office then you are responsible for informing us of your new location details. We will then update your address information accordingly. It can take a finite amount of time (for example a day or two) for the updated address information to propagate through the relevant systems.

Power Outages:

You should be aware that during power outages your IP desk phones and ATA will not have power and hence will not function. This means you will not be able to dial 911 during power outages at your work location. We recommend using your personal cell phone in these circumstances if you need to call the Emergency Services.

Internet Outages:

Similar to a power outage, you should be aware that your IP desk phones and ATA will not have connectivity during Internet outages and therefore will not be able to make outgoing phone calls. As with power outages we recommend using your personal cell phone for any emergencies in these circumstances.

Education:

It is important to make sure all employees in the workplace are aware of the limitations and factors noted above.

Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for our full 911 policy and more information regarding this feature and its limitations.

E911 Address Verification Service

If you have the E911 feature enabled you can dial 933 from your Cabertel phone(s) to reach the E911 address verification service. This service will provide a recorded message of your current address associated with the number you are calling from. This is a free service you can use to make sure your E911 service is enabled and that the address on file is correct.

If the address you hear is incorrect please contact your account manager immediately to get your location information updated to the correct address.

Final Thoughts

We have introduced the E911 feature provided by Cabertel and touched on how it works along with some of the more important factors that customers should be aware of when using 911 with a VoIP phone service.

This feature is included free with your service. Just always remember to inform us of any change in your work address. If you have any questions please contact your account manager directly.