Internet calls to 911 come with a new set of problems.

Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard

An emerging technology that allows people to make phone calls over high-speed Internet connections can be unreliable when calling 911, warns the director of Lane County's 911 service.

The technology is called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, and it's catching on with people who want to save money on local and long distance calls.

But Kristi Wilde, Central Lane Communications manager, said customers who don't read the fine print in the contracts may be unaware of the service's shortcomings.

Emergency calls made over the Internet often are routed to non-emergency lines or administrative offices instead of the county dispatch center, which handles 89 percent of the 911 calls in Lane County, Wilde said.

And those phones aren't answered with the same priority, she said.

"Some customers don't realize they aren't getting access," Wilde said. "So it's buyer beware."

In addition, most calls made over the Internet won't automatically display the address or call-back number as regular hard-wired phones do under the "enhanced 911" system. Even cellular phone companies provide call-back numbers and the nearest cellular tower these days, Wilde said.

Now harried call-takers must remember to ask for the information when they answer Internet calls. And if a caller cannot provide the information due to a medical emergency, injury, shock or unfamiliarity with the location, call-takers won't know where to send help.

Several companies offer Internet phone service and each has different features. The largest provider, Vonage, says it has 500,000 customers nationwide. Some companies offer 911 access once users register their address and number. Others allow users to call only other subscribers to the same service.

Another hazard Internet phone users face: losing service in a power outage.

VoIP technology coverts the voice into digital bits and transmits them over the Internet. The bits are converted into a traditional phone signal at the receiving end.

Because the Federal Communications Commission does not regulate the Internet like it does traditional phone lines, online phone providers can offer their customers deep discounts, often on unlimited long distance calling.

"It is really cheap, and that's why more and more people are moving to it," Wilde said. "But it's a big issue for us because we have worked so long to have enhanced 911 service and this just throws it out the window."

Most local governments don't have the money to upgrade existing 911 equipment to deal with incoming Internet calls. And that won't change any time soon, Wilde said.

So in the meantime, it's up to customers to make sure they can get help when they need it.

Wilde recommended keeping a traditional telephone line in the house - preferably with a regular corded phone. Cordless phones also don't work during power outages.

For people who insist on using the new technology exclusively, Wilde recommended posting the address and telephone number near the phone so people unfamiliar with the location - baby-sitters, house guests and the like - can provide the information to emergency call-takers.