The US Federal Communications Commission has voted that firms providing Voice over IP (VoIP) services must supply their customers with emergency calling capabilities as a mandatory feature of the service.
This vote comes after a number of incidents in which VoIP customers were unable to reach emergency operators after dialling 911. The FCC in it's ruling has stated that being able to contact Emergency services is critical during times of crisis, and whilst it does not wish to overly regulate IP-enabled services, it does not want customers to be unable to access public safety services in times of crisis.
The order only affects VoIP service providers which seek to emulate traditional telephony providers, and does not currently require services such as Instant Messaging or Internet gaming to provide 911 access. VoIP providers have 120 days to implement this order.