SOS on VOIP phone ? Better use landlins!

Canadian emergency agencies are urging people to consider the risks of using Internet phone services following the death of an 18-month-old boy in Calgary.

Sylvia Luck called 911 on Tuesday night using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone -- which routes calls through the Internet -- after her nephew, Elijah, appeared to be in medical distress, his left hand and leg quivering. An ambulance arrived more than 30 minutes later, and only after a neighbour called 911 from a land line.

Alison George, a spokeswoman for Comwave Telecom Inc., the VoIP provider for the Luck family, said its call centre heeded Ms. Luck's plea and sent an ambulance to the address on file. Unfortunately, it was the family's former address in suburban Toronto.

Internet-based phone services do not relay the caller's location. When a land line is used, emergency services can see the person's name, address and phone number.

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