Re: 'Call Before You Dig' Article

[Robert E.Seastrom <rs () seastrom com>]

Roy <garlic () garlic com> writes:

> > This issue went national in March 2005 with the addition of a new
> > N11 number for "One Call"
> > notification. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-257293A1.pdf
> >
> > The new abbreviated number will be 811 and it looks like carriers
> > are required to implement by April 2007--since it's been in the
> > Federal Register for about a month
> > now. http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a050413c.html
>
> But is it applicable to VOIP carriers?

Call-Before-You-Dig is not applicable to users of dig(1).  Not being
facilities-based, I don't believe VoIP carriers will be required to be
participating utilities in One Call.

Seriously, though, I can't imagine why VoIP providers would resist
being involved in three-digit "One Call" programs any more than they
resist implementing 611 or 411 calling.  Sending to the CBUD service
that serves the billling address of the VoIP phone should be close
enough for government work and the liability issues involving
misdirected e911 access and the need for super accurate physical
location information (both existing because human lives are acutely at
risk) simply aren't there in this application.

Stated another way, if it were acceptable to shuffle an e911 caller
around to four different agencies before they found the right one,
require them to give the address where they were physically located
manually, and then it was OK to take up to 48 hours to arrive, nobody
would be resisting implementing e911 either.  :)

                                        ---Rob