Vonage and Verizon Call up E911
Vonage will spend tens of millions of dollars to interconnect with Verizon's enhanced-911 system (E911) under a first-of-its-kind agreement announced today.
The pact between the Voice over IP upstart and regional carrier means location and callback numbers of Vonage subscribers dialing 911 from Verizon's territory will be delivered to emergency dispatchers.
Schulz hopes the remaining Baby Bells -- SBC and BellSouth -- will follow Verizon's lead. Vonage and SBC have scrapped over E911. However, Wes Warnock, an SBC spokesman, said the discussions with Vonage continue.
"Last week we provided them with a commercial agreement, whereby Vonage would have direct connections to 911 systems that are identical to connections provided to CLECs," Warnock said. "We're hopeful that we will be able to soon reach an agreement."
But Schulz called SBC's proposal "half-baked."
"Until SBC offers to sell us the same elements Verizon and Qwest have offered, we are not going to be able to implement E911 in their territory," she said.
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