AT&T Solves VoIP's 911 Issue

The problem: VoIP users who call 911 from hotels and other remote sites sometimes can't be found by 911 operators. That's because the correct locations of these “nomadic” users don't show up on operators' screens. AT&T says it's solved a problem that has dogged Internet-based phone service: how to provide emergency 911 to people who use VoIP -- short for Voice over Internet Protocol -- on the road. AT&T's nomadic solution, called Heartbeat, uses its Internet network to track the location of users. Here's how it works: When VoIP customers power down, AT&T's network will automatically suspend VoIP service. Once the phone adapter is plugged back in, AT&T will ask the user to verify his or her location. For customers who indicate they haven't moved, service will be instantly restored. If they have moved, they'll be directed to an 800 number or a Web page to register the new location. AT&T's VoIP units -- sold under the CallVantage name -- are programmed to contact the carrier's global network once every 24 hours. During these communications, AT&T sends software upgrades and does maintenance. Heartbeat works off that same protocol. The Federal Communications Commission has given Internet phone carriers until Nov. 28 to make their VoIP services 911-capable. AT&T's rival carriers are still working on the problem.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20051011/voip11.art.htm