Nassau County Legislator Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck), vice chair of the Public Safety Committee, is applauding a joint measure introduced recently by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that would require all voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers connected to the public telephone network to link customers up to the 911 network as well. This measure would ensure that consumers receiving telephone service from internet providers would also receive enhanced 911 services, a feature that provides the caller's address or phone number. Congress expects to begin hearings on the proposed requirements in September.

Legislator Altmann brought the issue to the attention of Nassau County residents back in May 2005.

These internet providers, called VoIP, or voice over Internet Protocol, offer telephone service over high-speed Internet access, along with low monthly prices, but this service comes with some drawbacks. Often through these services 911 is not fail-safe, generating increasing concern among emergency personnel, consumer advocates and federal, state and local officials. While these services seem functionally the same, many VoIP callers find they cannot reach local emergency operators.

An incident last year propelled the 911 issue to national attention when burglars fired shots at Houston homeowners as their daughter tried frantically and unsuccessfully to call 911 through Vonage. A Florida mother’s three-month old child died as a result of delays when she couldn’t get through to 911 emergency services.

“People have a reasonable expectation that when they dial 911 from their phone that they will be connected to an emergency operator and that they will be located,” said Legislator Altmann. “But unfortunately, that is not always the case. I applaud the U.S. senate and the House of Representatives for introducing this measure that, if passed in September, will no doubt save lives.”

The snag arises when certain Net phone operators or “nomadic” services assign phone numbers independent of where a customer actually lives. This is a major draw for customers, who can live in one city, but have a telephone number from another area.

Most of the popular providers in the New York area, like Cablevision's Optimum Voice and Time Warner Digital Phone, include enhanced 911 services, according to Altmann. Vonage, AT&T CallVantage and Verizon's Voicewing, lack enhanced 911.