Next Generation 911 (NG911) is the replacement of the networks behind 911 with IP-based systems. In the legacy model, 911 calls travel over circuit-switched trunks into the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), carrying a callback number and a location looked up from a database. NG911 connects PSAPs to an IP-based emergency services network that can receive location data with the call itself, route calls based on that location, and, where supported, accept text, images, video and other data. In the US, it is being deployed by state, regional and local 911 authorities at different speeds, so readiness varies by area.
At a glance
- NG911 moves 911 from legacy circuit-switched trunks to IP networks, typically called emergency services IP networks (ESInets).
- Location can travel with the call, and routing can be based on that location rather than only on a database lookup.
- It is designed to support text, images, video and additional data, but which media a given PSAP accepts depends on local deployment.
- Rollout in the US is led by state, regional and local 911 authorities, and readiness differs by area.
- For businesses, accurate location data from the phone system is still the deciding factor in where a call goes and what responders see.
What problem it solves
The legacy 911 network was built for landlines with fixed addresses. Mobile phones, VoIP, cloud phone systems and softphones were added over time with workarounds, such as database lookups and conversions between IP and circuit-switched formats at the edge of the 911 network. Each conversion can lose information, and the legacy design limits what data can travel with a call.
NG911 modernizes the plumbing. Calls from IP-based phone systems can reach the PSAP over IP with location data attached, calls can be rerouted between PSAPs more flexibly during overloads or outages, and the network can carry media beyond voice. For a business with cloud phones and remote workers, that means a better path for the location its system sends, provided the location is accurate.
How it works
ESInet. Each region or state builds or contracts for an emergency services IP network that connects its PSAPs. Phone providers deliver 911 traffic to the ESInet rather than to legacy selective routers.
Standards-based design. NG911 deployments in the US commonly follow the i3 architecture published by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Calls are typically carried using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the same signaling used by most VoIP and UC systems.
Location with the call. Instead of relying only on a database lookup after the call arrives, the originating network can include the caller’s location in the call. A routing function uses that location to pick the right PSAP. For business systems, the location is ideally a dispatchable location, a street address plus floor, suite or room.
Additional media. NG911 is designed to accept text, images, video and data feeds. Text-to-911 is available in many areas, sometimes through interim solutions; richer media support depends on what each PSAP has deployed.
Transition. During the transition, legacy and IP systems run side by side, with gateways converting between them. In the US, the FCC has adopted rules requiring phone service providers to deliver 911 traffic in IP-based formats to 911 authorities that are ready to receive it, on phased timelines. Details and dates vary, so check with your provider and counsel.
Our unified communications as a service solution page covers how to evaluate cloud phone platforms, including their 911 handling.
When it matters for buyers
- Choosing or renewing a phone provider. Ask how the provider delivers 911 calls and location data, and how it is preparing for IP delivery in your areas.
- Large or multi-floor sites. NG911 can carry detailed location such as floor and suite, but only if your system captures and sends it.
- Remote and mobile users. Softphones and apps need a reliable way to determine and update location so calls reach the right PSAP.
- Compliance reviews. In the US, federal 911 rules for multi-line systems, such as Kari’s Law and the RAY BAUM’S Act, apply alongside state rules that vary.
Questions to ask vendors
- How do you deliver our 911 calls today: over legacy 911 trunks, to an ESInet, or through a third-party 911 provider?
- What location data travels with our calls, and in what format?
- How do you capture and update location for softphones, mobile apps and remote workers?
- What happens to a 911 call when a user’s location is unknown or unverified?
- How will your 911 delivery change as the areas we operate in move to NG911?
- Do you support on-site notification, so our security or reception team knows when 911 is dialed?
How it differs from E911
Enhanced 911 (E911) is the capability that delivers a caller’s number and location to the PSAP, originally on circuit-switched networks with location looked up from a database. NG911 is the IP-based network that replaces that infrastructure. It keeps the E911 goal of automatic number and location, can carry location with the call itself, and adds support for richer data and media. Many areas are in between, running E911 and NG911 elements side by side.