9-1-1 Emergency services limitations with SIP Trunking and Cloud Communications

Limitations apply for some telephony services specific configurations delivered over IP.

More specifically:

• when several sites in different cities are served on a single access
• when your phones can be moved by users without Videotron being aware (“Nomadic phones”, Cloud Communications, IP PBX served with a SIP trunk)
• when using an application over a computer, tablet or smartphone (“Softphone”).

1) When calling 9-1-1 emergency service, information regarding your location, or location of users such as employees, is not automatically transmitted to the local emergency service centre.

The call is first answered by a telephonist from an independent provider to whom you will need to verbally indicate your location. Afterward, the telephonist will forward the emergency call to the most appropriate emergency service centre depending on the indicated location.

If the calling person is not capable to indicate verbally his/her location, the telephonist will rely on a civic address previously entered as the “most probable address”, associated with the calling phone number provided with the service.

You can change this address and its location at any time in the Webex app. Users of the COMMaffaires app can access the Web portal Videotron has put at their disposal via the independent provider, and update the address and location most likely to be associated with the telephone number(s) provided with the Cloud Communications solution, as needed.

You are responsible to provide and maintain up to date the address to be used by the emergency centre. Otherwise, the emergency services may be sent to the wrong address. Therefore, neither Videotron nor its providers may be deemed responsible for any claim resulting from emergency services incorrectly sent further to 9-1-1 calls.

2) If you are out of Canada, the independent provider telephonist cannot send the call to an emergency centre. You must rather use a fixed local or cellular phone, and dial the emergency code used in this country.

3) The « most probable address » is based on the calling phone number. If all users share the same phone number, they also share the most probable address. If employees are likely to move their phones, we recommend to provide them with a direct phone number (“DID – Direct Inward Dialing”)

IP Telephony services depend on availability of your internal network, electrical current, and possibly Internet or Hybrid Coaxial-Fiber Network for specific cases. In the event of electrical or network outages, users may not be able to place emergency calls.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has recently issued best practice recommendations for "multi-line telephone systems," particularly with respect to access to 9-1-1 emergency services. You can refer to the CRTC's decision and how-to guide, or to contact the company that manages your telephone system, to find out how to implement them.