May 4, 2005
Vonage says it will spend $10 million to provide 911-style emergency service to its customers. The embattled Internet phone service provider says it will work with Verizon and other companies to tie into their 911 systems.
Vonage says the Verizon deal is "the first domino" of a plan to implement emergency services nationwide. For now, the Verizon contract includes emergency service access in Verizons footprint.
Emergency calls from Vonage customers will be routed over the Verizon network to connect to the emergency dispatchers, who will be able to access a database of the callers personal information due to a unique key encoded in the call.
Vonage says it has also set aside funds to work with three other regional Bell operating companies - BellSouth, SBC, and Qwest, although it has not yet reached agreement with them. However, Vonage said it has yet to reach agreements with those companies.
Besides the $10 million set-up expense, Vonage will pay about $1 million per month for the service, a company spokeswoman said.
The move comes none too soon. Texas, Michigan and Connecticut have challenged Vonage's marketing, claiming it does not spell out the details of its emergency service plan to customers. In Texas, a child whose parents had been assaulted in a robbery was allegedly unable to reach help, while in Connecticut the mother of a sick infant was unable to contact emergency dispatches.
