The benefits of E911 emergency calling APIs

Emergencies, unfortunately, can happen at any time. According to research by the National Emergency Number Association, 240 million calls are made to 911 each year. The FCC requires that VoIP providers using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) meet all E911 obligations. This includes Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act, which are regulations concerning emergency calls.

At Telnyx, our emergency calling APIs—Standard and Dynamic E911—meet 911 standards. We also adhere to Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM'S Act, and tools to facilitate compliance are free to customers with US numbers. Read on to learn about our emergency calling APIs and how they provide critical information to emergency responders.

What are the benefits of using E911?

1. Accurate location information

E911 communicates location metadata to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) during emergency calls. The goal is to speed up response time during emergencies. Telnyx’s emergency APIs—Standard and Dynamic E911—both provide location information, but their routing methods differ.

Standard E911 ties a physical address (which you designate when setting up your E911) to your emergency-enabled IP phone number. This information is passed on to emergency responders even if you’re unable to communicate it.

Dynamic E911 or E911 with Dynamic Location Routing is routing based on location object. It uses Presence Information Data Format – Location Object (PIDF-LO) to provide location information. With Dynamic E911, phone numbers are decoupled from addresses and associated with end-users. This allows emergency responders to determine location, down to floor and suite level.

2. Compliance with regulations

There are two regulations concerning emergency calling that you should be aware of: RAY BAUM’S Act and Kari’s Law. Both regulations require 911-supported phone systems to include dispatchable locations.

3. Manage E911 from the same interface as your other phone lines

Telnyx provides Standard E911 services through our intuitive Mission Control Portal. You can activate E911 by indicating that calls are directed to the appropriate PSAP and communicating a saved address. You can even test the connection by dialing 933—the service will read back the address that you validated.

Emergency calling with Telnyx

We offer Standard E911 services across all our numbers and Dynamic E911 to all American and Canadian numbers. You can set up Standard E911 in our Mission Control Portal, or explore developer docs to configure Dynamic E911.

If you’d like more information on how to manage your E911 services or have any questions, get in touch with a member of our team.