How VoIP 911 differs from a traditional phone line
On a traditional landline, dialing 911 connects you to the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and your physical address is automatically delivered to the dispatcher because it's tied to the copper pair. That's not how VoIP works. Your TimberSwitch number lives in the cloud and travels with you wherever your internet connection goes — so we have to tell the dispatcher where you are by other means.
What you must do
- Provide an accurate service address at signup. The address you give us when you create your workspace is the address we send to the carrier's E911 database for every number on that workspace. Without an accurate address, a 911 call may be routed to a national operator who has to ask "where are you?" — adding seconds when seconds matter.
- Email [email protected] any time your physical address changes — including moves, opening a new office, or moving the device that uses TimberSwitch. We update the carrier's E911 database within one business day of your request. Self-serve address management is on the roadmap.
- Don't dial 911 from a remote location. If you're traveling with your laptop and dial 911 from the softphone, dispatch will see your registered business address, not where you actually are. Use a cellphone instead.
- Tell anyone who might dial 911 from your line (employees, family, guests) what address dispatch will see, in case they need to correct it verbally.
When TimberSwitch 911 will not work
- Power outage. Without electricity, your router and computer are off; we can't reach you.
- Internet outage. No internet, no VoIP. Dial from a cellphone instead.
- TimberSwitch service outage. Cloud services have downtime. We aim for 99.9%; we don't promise 100%.
- Network congestion. If your connection is saturated, calls may not connect.
- Account suspended. An overdue invoice, security suspension, or termination stops 911 routing along with everything else.
- Service moved without address update. See above.
- Mobile use. If you're using TimberSwitch from a different physical location than the one registered, dispatch will be sent to the wrong address.
- International numbers. If you have a non-US number, US 911 may not work at all.
Backup recommended
Always keep an alternate way to dial 911 — a cellphone, a corded landline, or a traditional analog phone — and make sure others on your line know where to find it.
Your acknowledgement
When you sign up for TimberSwitch you check a box confirming you have read and understood this notice. We log that acknowledgement with a timestamp and the IP you used. By using TimberSwitch you reaffirm this acknowledgement on every call.
What we do on our side
- We forward your registered service address to our carrier (Telnyx) for inclusion in the E911 database for every active number.
- We notify our carrier when you change your address; updates typically propagate within minutes but can take up to 24 hours.
- If our carrier reports an E911 registration failure (e.g., address can't be validated), we email you within one business day with the reason and how to correct it.
Liability
We provide 911 routing on a best-effort basis using interconnected VoIP infrastructure. We are not liable for personal injury, property damage, or other consequences of a 911 call that failed to connect or routed to the wrong dispatcher, except to the extent required by law. See our Terms of Service for the full liability terms.
Questions
Email [email protected] with anything unclear about this notice or your E911 registration status.