Important 9-1-1 information for Advantage Voice customers

The Advantage Voice service allows you to make or receive telephone calls to or from the public switched telephone network using a mobile device (e.g. tablet, personal computer or WiFi enabled device) connected to the Internet. The nature of these telephone calls, while appearing similar to traditional telephone calling services, creates unique limitations and circumstances. We want to make sure that you are aware of important differences in the way 9-1-1 service operates with a VoIP phone service, like Advantage Voice, when compared to traditional telephone services.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

Differences between traditional 9-1-1 service and VoIP phone 9-1-1.

Because of the unique nature of the Advantage Voice service, emergency calls to 9-1-1 will be handled differently than calls placed over traditional phone services. With traditional phone services, your 9-1-1 call is sent directly to the nearest emergency response centre based on your address and your address information is automatically generated. When a 9-1-1 emergency call is placed using Advantage Voice, your call may be forwarded to a third-party specialized call centre that handles emergency calls and you will be required to provide your name, current location and telephone number. The specialized call centre will then automatically or manually route your call to the emergency response centre nearest to your given location Advantage Voice services are designed for operation within Canada. If the service is being used on a device outside of Canada, it may not be possible toplace a 9-1-1 call.

Remember to verify your location.

The Advantage Voice service will attempt to automatically provide the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) dispatcher or emergency service operator with the name, address and telephone number associated with your account. However, because you can move your phone between locations and because, for technical reasons, the emergency operator may not have your name, location or contact information available, you must be prepared to immediately inform the emergency operator of your current location and contact particulars any time you call 9-1-1. If you are unable to speak, the dispatcher may not be able to locate you if your location information is not up to date.

Do not risk sending police or ambulance services to the wrong location.

Be prepared during any service interruption.

For technical reasons, 9-1-1 emergency calls using Advantage Voice may not function or may be delayed in certain circumstances such as: failure of your device, power outages, service outages, suspension or disconnection of the service due to billing issues and/or network or Internet outages. In the event of a power, network or Internet outage, you may also need to reset or reconfigure your equipment before being able to use the service, including for placing 9-1-1 emergency calls. We recommend that you keep an alternative phone service, such as a cellular telephone, handy to increase the reliability of your access to emergency services during any service interruption.

Do not disconnect.

There is a possibility that a 9-1-1 call may produce a busy signal or may take longer to answer than when using traditional 9-1-1 services. You must not disconnect the 9-1-1 emergency call until told to do so by the dispatcher, as the dispatcher may not have your number or contact information. If you are inadvertently disconnected, call back immediately.

Keep your service address up to date.

We will attempt to provide the emergency operator with your service address, so please ensure that your information (including name, address and telephone number) on file with us is always accurate and updated. If you do not do this or if you are unable to speak during a 9-1-1 call, the emergency operator may assume that you are calling from the last registered address or your billing address. If your account information has recently changed or has otherwise not been updated, 9-1-1 calls may be misdirected to an incorrect emergency response site.

Inform other users.

You must notify members of your household, business and other potential users of the Advantage Voice service of the nature and limitations of 9-1-1 emergency calls.

Limitations of Liability.

The terms of your service agreement limit and disclaim liability related to VoIP 9-1-1 service, so please read any documentation carefully.

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