Texas VoIP 911 coverage nearly complete

The government of the state of Texas has announced that the majority of the state’s emergency call centers now receive 911 calls from customers whose telephone service relies upon Voice over Internet Protocol technology.

In a recently released report, the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) provided a status of statewide efforts to provide 911 service to VoIP telephone subscribers. Texas has deployed VoIP 911 service in the majority of the state’s 544 answering points. Texas 911 entities formed a working group with industry to expedite deployment in response to the FCC’s order.

According to Paul Mallett, Executive Director of CSEC, the purpose of the group was to document the impact of VoIP telephony on 911 in Texas and to explore potential solutions to identified problems, and “Our agency continues to facilitate and monitor VoIP 911 deployment in Texas to ensure that VoIP customers have access to 911 and emergency services.”

CSEC is a state agency charged by the Texas Legislature with overseeing 911 services in 224 of Texas’ 254 counties. CSEC, in cooperation with the Texas Department of State Health Services, also oversees the Texas Poison Control Network that serves all Texas counties.