Posted by : Anonymous on Jun 02, 2004 - 06:44 AM WebTechnology

U.S. Internet telephone service may be hampered until users can make 9-1-1 calls that automatically indicate their location.Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP as Internet telephone service is known, is a still-developing technology that essentially e-mails spoken words via the Internet rather than through public phone lines, the Portland Oregonian reported Tuesday.
The result is the sounds of a speaker's voice must travel a more circuitous and unpredictable route to its destination than it does over a traditional wired telephone.

Because each Internet phone call takes a different route, it doesn't carry the same 9-1-1 location information as a traditional call, making it impossible for a dispatcher to track.

That leaves dispatchers unable to send fire, police or emergency help to callers who are unable to communicate.

Still, VoIP prospects seem bright. Analysts at the Yankee Group, a research firm, predict about 980,000 households or businesses will subscribe to VoIP this year. By 2007, that number is expected to reach 13 million.

Copyright 2004 by United Press International.