NL Editorial
telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. For decades, Canadians have relied on their residential telephones as a key safety technology. More than anything else, in recent years, emergency 911 service has become a lifeline helping save lives and property. We expect that during storms and emergencies, we’ll have a dialtone available to us, with a voice on the other end ready to send help should we need it. It came as no surprise that during public hearings into new VoIP offerings, and the regulatory model that should be in place to govern them, much of the CRTC’s questioning was focused on this public safety aspect. VoIP systems present a problem for network designers since a VoIP telephone number could be used from almost anywhere there is high-speed access – a hotel, a city park, the office. While the CRTC’s preliminary view of 911 service over VoIP networks is that providers should strive to offer it as soon as is practical, there
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