Brightspeed VoIP Service – Overview of 911 and Service Limitations

Your Brightspeed VoIP service allows you to dial 911 to reach the Emergency 911 center in your local area, in a manner similar to traditional phone service. However, because VoIP is an internet-based phone service, the VoIP service operates differently, including how 911 calls are treated.

As part of the ordering process for Brightspeed VoIP Services, Brightspeed requires that you confirm your understanding and acceptance of these differences listed in Section I below. As part of the ordering process, we also require you to acknowledge your obligation to notify your end users of the differences, which is summarized in Section II.

I. Business VoIP Differences.

Below are four key differences about the VoIP service.

1. Electrical Power. Unlike traditional telephony service, VoIP requires electrical power to function, including to call 911. The VoIP service will not work during a power outage at your or an end users service location. To maintain service during a power outage, a battery backup unit must be installed. While Brightspeed encourages all customers to implement a battery backup unit, you are not required to do so or to obtain such a unit from Brightspeed. If you are interested, Brightspeed can help you obtain a battery backup unit.
2. Broadband Connection. Unlike traditional telephony service, Brightspeed VoIP is provided over a broadband network. If your broadband network connection is terminated, disrupted or otherwise impaired, including for non-payment, your Brightspeed VoIP service will not function and you will not be able to make 911 calls with this service.
3. Disconnecting Current Service. If you are porting an existing number from your current phone service, you will not be able to make or receive calls, including return calls from Emergency 911 centers, until your current phone service has been deactivated.
4. Registered Location. Depending on the VoIP service ordered, you might be able to install VoIP on devices that can be relocated, such as laptops and mobile devices. With the VoIP service, the emergency provider designated to handle a 911 call, and the address that the emergency provider will see, are linked to your service address that you have registered at the time your account was established or which you subsequently updated in the VoIP portal. VoIP 911 calling will not work properly if you move before you update your physical location VoIP Portal and receive confirmation by the VoIP portal of the updated location.

II. Notification Requirement.

As part of the ordering process for VoIP Service, we also require that you understand and acknowledge the requirement to notify all end users who utilize your subscription of Brightspeed VoIP of the limitations on access to 911 emergency service; and that access to 911 emergency service and the appropriate Emergency 911 center is only available at the location Brightspeed assigned upon initial installation (the Registered Primary Address) or the verified updated address that Customer or Customer’s end user has subsequently registered within the VoIP portal for that end user’s seat. Brightspeed will provide labels that will indicate that 911 service has limited availability and functionality when used with the service, and Brightspeed recommends that the labels be placed on or near the equipment associated with the service. Additionally, when users make calls using a Soft Phone with VoIP service, a 911 warning will appear on the Soft Phone device. The user will need to click on the display to acknowledge the warning. You should advise end users that more information about these 911 Emergency Service limitations is available at the following URL to review: https://www.brightspeed.com/ew/legal-resources/privacy-notice/911-advisory.