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.
This guide covers the process for converting any existing "Standard" DID to Enhanced status. If you wish to purchase a new Enhanced DID, refer to this guide on How to Purchase an Enhanced DID for E911 Provisioning.
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 customer portal, hover over the "SIP Trunking" tab, and select the "Telephone Numbers" submenu option.
2. This will display the "Telephone Numbers" page which includes a full list of all DIDs on the account. You can expand settings options for the individual DID settings by clicking on the pencil edit icon next to the relevant DID. There is a button you need to click that's labeled "Convert to Enhanced" in the bottom of the panel for the DID settings.
3. Address fields will populate and you can then enter the geocoded address for the E911 provisioning for that Enhanced DID. Click on the "Submit" option once you have entered the correct address.
A message will appear in the lower-right corner of the panel telling you if the address was successfully added to the Emergency Call Center national database or it will return back an error informing you that the system failed to provision the emergency address due to a geocode error. See the next section for how to fix this.
The address geocoding update is nearly instantaneous. Once the Standard DID has successfully converted to Enhanced status, your monthly billing will automatically update to reflect the difference in fees. You can then proceed to place test calls to 933 (see the last section in this guide for instructions).
How to Fix E911 Address Geocode Errors
4. 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.
5. 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.
Setting Your Caller ID
6. 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.
Testing Your E911 Provisioned Number
7. 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.