Speaking for myself, I feel that 911 access for all is important and the deadline should have been met. That’s just my take regarding the 911 vs mobile phone issue. As for the VoIP companies…well, that is another bit altogether.

Earlier this week, EFF joined a bunch of other groups — the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, and Pulver.com — in filing comments before the FCC about how the agency should handle making Emergency 911 (E911) features available on next-generation IP phones. In its request for comment, the FCC asked a number of questions, including which new technologies should absolutely guarantee access to emergency services, where and how “automatic location technologies” should be deployed, and finally how users’ privacy should be protected.

It’s not hard to be sympathetic to the FCC’s position here – it wants to make sure the broadest array of commonly used communications devices can summon help quickly. The agency has already mandated that the plain old telephone system (POTS) be E911 compliant, which means among other things that the government guarantees a connection to local emergency services and has a way to locate where the emergency call originated. This setup has led to faster service for people whose lives are in danger. [Read the rest]