AT&T looks for 911 assistance in VoIP

AT&T plans to announce Tuesday that it has hired Intrado to develop a way for the long distance company’s Internet phone customers to reach 911 emergency services.
The 911 service accompanying AT&T’s residential Internet phone offering will make its debut in the spring, according to Intrado. A spokesman for AT&T could not be reached for comment.

While they have been hailed for costing up to 30 percent less than traditional dialing plans, so-called voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services often do not include the ability to dial 911. The reason is that VoIP calls are routed over the Internet, while most emergency calling centers are only capable of receiving calls using older circuit-switched telephone technology.

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