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In the wake of a failed 911 call using VoIP
 that may have contributed to an infant’s death in Canada, officials are urging those who use the service to register new system locations whenever they move.
Last week, an 18-month-old baby in Calgary died after his parents called 911 through a VoIP service. The digital home phone system, short for “Voice over Internet Protocol
,” uses computer modems rather than regular phone lines.In this case, the service provider used the family’s former address in Mississauga, Ontario – instead of Calgary, their new home – when the baby, Elijah Luck, went into medical distress. The service provider has said the call was cut off, so it relied on the address it had. The boy died in a hospital a half-hour later.
The tragedy marks one frightening instance where an increasingly widespread technology is outpacing traditional systems.
Emergency response leaders are urging VoIP users to talk to their providers about how to handle emergency calls.
The VoIP systems, which are increasingly popular because of their low-cost and ease, may have some limitations in emergencies, officials say.
For example, there may be a delay in response if an emergency communications center mistakenly transfers a 911 call to a non-emergency line. Also, if a caller cannot speak or a call is disconnected, the operator may not have automatic location information for emergency responders.
VoIP customers also may not be able to access 911 during a power failure that disrupts the Internet.
In the United States, legislation requires wireless companies to provide detailed location information to 911 centers. The rules are not yet in effect in Canada.
One academic in Canada said told CBS News in a widely viewed telecast that land lines are more reliable than Internet-based 911 calls.
“I think there are some people who are reconsidering VoIP service now. They probably weren’t aware of the limitations,” said Tom Keenan, a professor in the University of Calgary’s department of computer science. “In particular, if you have very young children or an elderly parent who wouldn’t be able to explain where they are and what their emergency is, it might be safer to have a good old traditional land line, or at least something else that connects you directly to the public service answering point.”
The baby’s funeral was held Monday.
Michael Dinan is a TMCNet Editor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
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