What Is a VoIP Positioning Center?

VoIP Positioning Center locates the source of emergency calls.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) providers have the capability to pass emergency calls to the appropriate nearby authority. The technology that enables this call pass-through is called "VoIP Positioning Center."

Requirements

VoIP providers are obliged to provide "E911" services. This stands for Enhanced 911. This system delivers the callers phone number and location to the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of the 911 service as well as passing through the call. For nomadic VoIP handsets, this presents a problem. VoIP Positioning Center is required to provide location information in these situations.

Problem

Where VoIP service is provided by a cable TV company and is specifically located at an address, providing location information to the emergency services is not a problem. However, someone with an IP telephony account could take their unit and plug it into the Internet at any other address. This is where VoIP Positioning Center procedures are needed.

Solution

E911 already has process to locate cell phones. This is called "Mobile Positioning Center" (MPC). MPC calculates the origin of the call relative to the receiving mast. This technology has been adapted for VoIP, creating "VoIP Positioning Center" (VPC). VPC assigns a temporary number for identification of origin. This is called the Emergency Services Routing Key (ESRK).

References

• VoIP-News: Nomadic VoIP's Double E911 Troubles