For those communicating on a pure VoIP platform, the worry over 911 services should soon be put to rest. The Senate has passed a bill that will ensure Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone-service companies such as cable companies, can deliver 911 services to their customers.

This bill, the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act, must now be squared with a similar bill already passed in the House before it can be sent to the President for his signature. It is expected that this resolution will be swift and the bill will be ready for presentation in the very near future.

The Act would provide cable companies and other VoIP providers with the same interconnection access on the same terms as traditional carriers, thus ensuring that 911 calls reach a local operator and that the operator can also determine the source of the emergency calls – hence the name, enhanced 911 or e911 service.

The bill was supported by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. In a letter to Senate leaders last week, the organization wrote, "when consumers dial 911 for emergency service, they should do so with confidence that their calls for help will be answered without regard to who provides their phone service or what technology they employ."

John Dingell (D-Mich.), House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman, noted that he is confident that the minor differences between the House and Senate legislation can be resolved in short order. Dingell’s confidence is based on the passing of a similar bill in the House last fall.

In 2005, the FCC (News - Alert) set the stage for e911 service with mandates that VoIP providers deliver 911 service that linked to local operators. These mandates were put in place after hearing from a variety of witnesses who talked of children dying and family members put at risk after calls to VoIP e911 (News - Alert) services that did not do so.

This concern regarding 911 and e911 capabilities for VoIP communications has been an obstacle to adoption for some individuals. The belief that traditional phone systems were the only reliable method for 911 delivery was enough to keep a number of individuals and companies from making the switch to a more affordable VoIP option.

With the passing of this latest bill and the anticipated swift resolution of differences between the House and Senate will guarantee not only that individuals and businesses using VoIP will have adequate 911 protection, they will also have access to e911 to improve response time and disaster recovery efforts.