E911 Because Your Safety Is Important
Enhanced 911 (E911) service delivers address-specific (versus phone number-only) call-back information
to public service answering points (PSAPs) whenever someone makes an emergency call. This enables
emergency personnel to be dispatched to the scene even if the caller is unable to speak or if the call is
suddenly disconnected.
Sierra Nevada Communications E911 service – SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED BELOW
– automatically routes emergency calls to dispatch operators at local PSAPs.
The FCC Mandate
On June 3rd 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that all Internet phone
service providers interconnected to the public switched telephone network offer E911 as a standard
element of their residential and business offerings.
The FCC has also required Internet phone service providers to inform subscribers that, under
certain circumstances, when 911 is dialed from a phone connected to an Internet phone service,
E911 service may not be available, or the E911 service may be in some way be limited by
comparison to traditional E911 service.
These circumstances include:
1. When the location of your Sierra Nevada Communications Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) device is at a physical address other than the one you listed when you activated your account.
2. When a subscriber’s broadband phone device fails or is not configured properly.
3. When there is an electrical power outage, service outage, or suspension/disconnection of Sierra
Nevada Communications service due to billing or other issues.
4. When there is a delay in the provision of Sierra Nevada Communications service ("dial tone") at
the physical address provided at the time of account activation.
5. When a change of address has been reported, but not yet been updated on the Sierra Nevada
Communications account.
6. When the local PSAP receiving Sierra Nevada Communications E911 emergency service calls
does not have a system configured for E911 services that enables the operator to capture and/or
retain automatic number or location information.
7. When due to technical factors in network design and/or in the event of network congestion on the
Sierra Nevada Communications network, a Sierra Nevada Communications E911 call may
produce a busy signal or experience unexpected answering wait times and/or take longer to answer than 911 calls placed via traditional telephone networks.
Sierra Nevada Communications is committed to meeting the demands of our subscribers for E911 as well
as the FCC’s requirements with the same diligence and seriousness with which we have always
approached this important telecommunications issue.
Please see our terms of service for additional information on our E911, 988, and 211 dialing.
