On August 1st, 2019, the FCC released its report and order regarding E911. In it the FCC has decided to establish minimum rules for all MLTS platforms. That means every single business in the United States is now required to offer the following:

Dialing 9-1-1

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Direct Dialing 9-1-1: via Kari's Law

Every phone that can dial to the public switch network has to be able to dial 9-1-1. That includes all soft phones. Not sure if this applies to your phones? Jerry Eisner, our VP of Public safety has a rule called the Dominoʼs rule:

"If you can dial for pizza from your phone, then you must be able to dial 9-1-1"

Kariʼs Law requires MLTS platforms that are manufactured, imported, offered for first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed after February 16, 2020, to enable users to dial 9-1-1 directly, without having to dial a prefix to reach an outside line, and to provide for notification (e.g., to a front desk or security office) when a 911 call is made.

Emergency Notifications

All 911 calls must provide notification to front desk, security, and/or administrative personnel.

Learn how to comply in as little as 48 hours

Accurate Dispatchable Locations

All 911 calls must have a dispatchable location. Sec 506 of Ray Baumʼs Act defines "dispatchable location" as:

Street address - 333 N. Michigan Ave.

Floor - 16th flr

Room # or Zone - Room 1612/NE Corner

Learn how to comply in as little as 48 hours

FAQ

Does this include softphones?

Yes. Any device that can access the public switch network is expected to meet these requirements.

 

My company issued stickers to our laptops that say “donʼt dial 9-1-1 from this device”. Does this mean this device doesnʼt need to meet FCC requirements?

Absolutely not. All devices must be able to dial 9-1-1 and be able to provide a dispatchable location. Organizations issuing stickers are operating outside of the law.

 

We are a small business. Are we exempt?

No. There are no exceptions.

When does this law go into effect?

The FCC recognizes 3 different types of devices and each have their own deadline.

Fixed Phones: Hardphones that are static in an environment. These phones must meet these requirements January 6th, 2021.

Non-Fixed: Softphones or Hardphones that move in the environment. These phones must meet these requirements by January 6th, 2022

Remote: Off-premise 911 calls such as remote workers or people working from home. These phones must meet requirements by January 6th, 2022.

Get compliant with the FCC’s new laws

RedSkyʼs comprehensive solutions meet all FCC requirements and can be up and running in your organization in as little as 48 hours. Fill out our short quick start form and an E911 expert will be in touch to provide you with compliance options and pricing:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Are all locations static?
How many phones do you have?
What is your PBX?
You may select multiple options.
Tell Us About Yourself
How can we help you?
Other Ways to help
PBX
What is your PBX?
What is your PBX Model and Version?
What is your PBX System and Version?
Do you have Cisco Emergency Responder?
Is your Skype deployment on Prem, Hybrid/CCE, or fully cloud?
Do you use Microsoft Teams?
Do you have Direct Routing or Calling Plan?
Do you have AES?
Do you have Session Manager?
Do you have SIP phones that register to Session Manager?
Hardphones
How many hardphones do you have?
Do your hardphones move within the enterprise?
How many are IP Phones?
How many are Analog Phones?
Environment
How many buildings do you need to cover?
How many floors?
Approximately how large are your floors?
    sq ft
Do you have an open office floor plan?
Do you have buildings in multiple states?
If so, please list the states:
Softphones
Do you have softphone users?
How many users?
Do they move outside of the enterprise?
What client are they running?
What is your softphone client version?
What is your softphone client version?
Do you use Microsoft Teams?
Remote Workers
Do you have remote workers?
Do they use softphones or hardphones?
How many remote workers?
Notifications
Do you want to be notified of 9-1-1 calls?
Do you have an on-site Police Force or on-site security team?
Do they need 9-1-1 calls routed to them?
Do they need 9-1-1 notifications?
Misc
Do you have common area phones like conference rooms and lobby phones?
How Many?
Do you have a BYOD policy in place?
On average, how many 9-1-1 calls are placed per month?
Mobile Phones
Do you need to know when people dial 9-1-1 from a cellular device on campus?
Describe your environment
Do you need to cover multiple campuses/locations?
Thank You!

Great job! You took the first step in making your organization FCC compliant. You might want to familiarize yourself with the new FCC requirements by downloading our FCC regulation overview guide.

An easy way to think about the FCC regulations are the following.

  • For your hardphones, and of softphones, each one needs a dispatchable location.
  • And for every 911 call placed on network, a notification needs to be sent to administration and/or the on premise security team so they can be aware of an emergency call.

One of our representatives will be reaching out to you today to learn more about your environment and answer any questions you may have.