HALIFAX - Note to all VoIPers – if you're going to call 9-1-1, you might want to use another form of communication.  For readers not in the know (and that's many people, as the technology is new and mainly found in large urban centres) VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it's a type of telephone service using an Internet connection to send and receive calls. The software can be a cheaper way to call, especially long distance, but with some providers emergency calls are sent to a relay centre rather than an in-province dispatcher. The person affected would need to provide all information over this call, because the relay system would not have the person's civic address. The caller would then rely on the relay system forwarding the information to emergency dispatch – a middleman the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office said could lead to delayed or even missed service.

"It's kind of buyer beware," said Mike Myette, Director of Emergency Services. "If the consumer plans on making this his or her main form of telephone service, they might be sacrificing the quality emergency calling. If you have another method of telephone communication, the product could be beneficial." Myette noted that the number of VoIP emergency calls currently received in the province is "negligible" at this point, as it is most found in large urban centres. But should the technology increase in popularity, he says a "fixed" VoIP system will allow those seeking emergency service to have their civic address recorded at the start of every call, a safer method of VoIPing. Even then, an event like a power outage or laptop battery drain could cause an obvious loss of service...

http://www.novascotiabusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?sid=134725&sc=107