VoIP Telephone Service
Stanford E911 System Warning (DisplayHide)
Calling 911 from VoIP phones could result in delays or difficulties in dispatching emergency services. (Please read the important message below.)
When a 911 call is made from a VoIP phone or traditional landline phone on the Stanford campus, the call is routed off campus to a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The PSAP maintains a database of telephone numbers and corresponding street addresses; when an emergency call comes in, the answering party at the PSAP sees the telephone number and street address of the calling party. Although location information is verified verbally during the conversation, in a worst-case scenario (e.g., the call gets disconnected in mid-conversation, the calling party is in dire need of medical attention, and cannot speak, etc.), the PSAP can alert the appropriate emergency responders (police, fire, ambulance) to the "known" location.
This model works well for traditional landline phones because there are systems in place to prevent the phone from being moved without updating the necessary records. In contrast, a VoIP phone may be moved from building to building resulting in inaccurate information in the PSAP database.
In order to solve this problem, Stanford has implemented an automated E911 System which tracks the movement of VoIP phones and sends location updates to the PSAP database. Although the system has been architected with significant redundancy, there are certain conditions which could result in inaccurate location information being conveyed to the PSAP, such as original records with invalid addresses, and timing or failure of database updates. In such cases, routine application and business processes are followed to correct the inaccurate location information.
Additional Warning for wireless VoIP phone users:
An additional complication occurs with wireless VoIP phones. One benefit of wireless VoIP phones is the ability to move them from building to building without losing a connection. However, having this flexibility introduces an additional challenge for 911 calling. Because the voice network used by wireless VoIP phones spans multiple buildings, the PSAP will NOT automatically know the physical location of a 911 caller (similar to calling 911 from a cell phone). For this reason, if it will not delay your ability to contact 911 it is advisable to use a phone other than a wireless VoIP phones for 911 emergency calls. If accessing a non-wireless VoIP phone will delay your ability to contact emergency services you should use a wireless VoIP phone and identify your current location as soon as possible.
Overview
Voice over IP (VoIP) is the next generation of communication service. With VoIP Telephone Service, the signal that carries calls between your telephone and Stanford's centralized voice switching equipment is in reality, a data network. That means your phone connection is part of the Stanford network instead of being hooked into the wiring of the traditional Stanford telephone infrastructure.
VoIP allows for the convergence of many separate systems into a single, managed voice and data infrastructure. It also dramatically lowers costs associated with moving lines and changing features. Because frequently requested functions come with the IP phone sets, VoIP eliminates the need to change service levels. A consolidated voice and data network positions Stanford to take advantage of increased network functionality in the future.
What’s different about VoIP phones?
VoIP phones plug into a network port instead of a phone port. There is a simple log-in procedure when starting up a Stanford VoIP phone, but otherwise the equipment works very much like the multi-line speakerphones Stanford departmental users are accustomed to. (See the user guide for VoIP phone set instructions.) VoIP Telephone Service includes most of the features currently offered with non-VoIP phone service, as well as many new functions only available with IP phones. To help your department adjust to the new phones, see the user documentation linked at the right.
Note that — at this time — VoIP service is not available for bridged extensions, modems, or courtesy phones.
Attractive pricing is available for departments switching to Net-to-Switch and VoIP at the same time. Linking VoIP to Net-to-Switch assures that IT Services engineers will be able to monitor and maintain network switch integrity. It also means that phone relocations are easy — department contacts can submit a request via the IT Services Site (itserviceshelp.stanford.edu) before plugging the phone into a new port. (The relocation order is required by law to assure accurate 911 location records.) Net-to-Switch service means installations are just as easy and seldom require additional, costly wiring charges.
FAX Service at VoIP-only Off-campus Locations
FAX service can be provided at off-campus locations with VoIP-only phone systems. The service requires the installation of a specialized gateway within the local network. The gateway converts FAX signals to VoIP signals and then transmits them to Stanford's central voice switching equipment. Once a FAX call reaches the central equipment, it is handled the same as a traditional FAX transmission.
At on-campus locations, FAX lines will remain a non-VoIP service.
