Compliance with dialing to E911 services is a common requirement in many VoIP configurations. SIP.US offers the "Enhanced DID status" for most numbers in order for customers to meet compliance with Ray Baum's Act.
As part of configuring a telephone number for compliance with E911, you will need what is called an "Enhanced DID", which is capable of E911 address provisioning. This guide covers the process to purchase a new Enhanced DID and basic configuration information. If you wish to convert an existing number to Enhanced status, refer to this guide on How to Convert a Standard DID to Enhanced.
NOTE: SIP.US recommends reading the article E911 - Important Information and familiarizing yourself with the government compliance requirements linked in that article before attempting to configure any VoIP system for use with E911.
1. Log in to the SIP.US customer portal, hover over the "SIP Trunking" tab, and choose the "Order Telephone Numbers" submenu option.
2. Click on the "Begin Search" field under "Standard Local (STD)/Enhanced Local DID with E911 (ENH) field and select your state and desired area code from the drop-down menus. Select a city and then choose your DID(s) from the available number pool.
3. Ensure that you select the "Enhanced" option for the desired DID(s) and then enter the associated geocode address data in the section labeled "Enhanced Local DID with e911 (ENH)" to the left.
NOTE: If you are purchasing multiple DIDs and need to add separate addresses for each, this can be edited after the order via the Telephone Numbers page in the customer portal. Changes will immediately go into effect.
4. Select a SIP trunk you would like to assign the DIDs to and review the order in the "Order Details" then click the "Review Order" button once you are ready to proceed with completing the order.
5. Ensure that all information on the screen is correct, paying careful attention to the address information summary. If you need to make changes select "Modify Your Order," otherwise click "Process Order:"
6. If the order processes successfully, you will either see that the Enhanced DID was successfully provisioned to the e911 address, or you will receive an error back that the address was invalid and you will need to resubmit the new address entry via the "Telephone Numbers" page in the customer portal.
How to Fix E911 Address Geocode Errors
7. SIP.US recommends trying a few modifications for the E911 address that you entered in the initial order when it does not geocode/provision correctly. This error typically occurs when the address you entered does not match the exact entry in the Emergency Call Center national database.
- Try querying the address and look for any discrepancy in what Google shows as the address on file. You should try pasting the exact result into the address info fields and see if the geocode error persists.
- If the error still persists, try a few other variations of the address such as spelling out abbreviations or only entering the five-digit zip code.
IMPORTANT: Reach out to our Support team at support@sip.us for assistance if the geocode error persists and we will assist you with identifying the correct address on file with the national database. If you know that the address was recently created (new construction), be sure to specify that in the support ticket.
8. The next step is to try successfully submitting the new E911 address entry you obtained. Navigate to the "Telephone Numbers" page within the "SIP Trunking" tab. You will see a full list of all DIDs on the account in addition to the type of DID for each. Click on the pencil edit icon next to the Enhanced DID to expand options then click "Modify e911 Address".
9. Enter the new address in the populated fields and "Submit" the address. You will see a feedback message that informs you if the entry was successful or encountered an error. If the submission is successful, you are done and can proceed with completing your e911 configuration.
10. The only thing that remains is ensuring the caller ID that is sent when dialing 911 matches your Enhanced DID. You can do this through most PBX systems via outbound routes/rules or dial pattern matching. Many PBX systems allow you to override the caller ID based on the called endpoint.
It is recommended that you review this general article on Setting Up Caller ID and check for any relevant Device Configuration Guide for reference on configuring caller ID on specific systems.
11. You may test your E911 provision by dialing "933" from a phone that is provisioned to use your SIP trunk. 933 is a free calling service from the national Emergency Call Center which will read back your address on file that is associated with the caller ID.
- Once you hear your Enhanced DID and the related address played back to you, you will know the E911 provisioning is tested and complete.
- If the DID you hear is not correct, your outbound caller ID is not set up correctly. If the DID is correct, but the address is not, you will need to modify your e911 address in the customer portal.
If you have trouble with any of these steps, please contact our Support team at support@sip.us for further assistance.