The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) sets out three main obligations for local VoIP service providers: provide Basic or Enhanced 9-1-1 service to their customers, notify their customers of any limitations of that service, and register with the Commission. 9-1-1 is therefore one of the points to check in any quote.
Short answer
You describe your lines, your handsets and how you receive calls: your request is reviewed by the Courtier TI team, then entrusted to the IT services company that will prepare your quote. The type of system, the auto attendant and the 9-1-1 configuration are set with you.
What the quote should cover
- An inventory of your current numbers, lines, extensions and handsets
- The proposed type of system: hosted, built into your collaboration tools or installed on your premises
- Porting of your current numbers, the planned cutover date and what happens during the transfer
- 9-1-1 configuration: the address linked to each extension or location, and notices about the service's limitations
- The auto attendant, call groups, voicemail and schedules
- An assessment of your Internet connection and network for voice
- Service levels required in writing: support hours, priorities and how to report an outage
The steps of a VoIP project
- Inventory of numbers, extensions, handsets and current contracts
- Description of how calls are received: reception, groups, schedules, overflow
- Assessment of the Internet connection and internal network
- Choice of system type and devices: desk phones, headsets, mobile app
- Configuration of the auto attendant, extensions and 9-1-1 addresses
- Number porting and cutover
- Employee training and post-cutover checks
Keeping your numbers
The CRTC recommends that you do not cancel your service before you switch: your new provider requests the transfer of your numbers. If you cancel before a transfer is initiated, you will definitely need a new number.
The CRTC also notes that you might need a new number if you move to a different province or local calling area, or when transferring from a landline or mobile to VoIP. It warns that service may be disrupted during the transfer, including 9-1-1. The quote should therefore state, for each number, whether it can be kept, how the cutover will be planned and how 9-1-1 will remain available. Also check the cancellation fees in your current contract.
9-1-1 with VoIP
The model notice the CRTC proposes to providers explains that because VoIP service can be used from one location to another, the emergency call centre operator may not have your name, address or contact information. The model also asks users to keep the address on their account up to date and to inform other users of the service's limitations.
The same model states that the service depends on your Internet connection and on electrical power: in the event of power, network or Internet outages, including congestion, you may experience a failure, disruption or delay in your 9-1-1 service. The CRTC model recommends keeping an alternative phone service, such as a cell phone, handy.
In the information it requires from providers, the CRTC asks them to confirm that they obtain the customer's express consent to these limitations before service begins, and that customers are able to update their address online. If you choose a solution such as Teams Phone, for example, Microsoft explains that assigning an emergency address to users makes it possible to send a precise location, and that configuration depends on the PSTN connectivity option chosen. Require the quote to describe how each extension, including remote workers, will be linked to the right address.
Network, outages and service levels
Call quality depends on your Internet connection and your internal network. Ask for an assessment before cutover and have the quote state whether voice will be prioritized on the network. If your network needs work, the business firewall and business Wi-Fi pages can help.
Plan for an Internet outage: call forwarding to cell phones, mobile app, adapted greeting. Also require written service levels: support hours covered, priority of a total outage, how to report a problem and follow-up. These items should be specified in the quote rather than assumed.
Questions to ask yourself before requesting a quote
- How many numbers, lines and extensions do you have today?
- Who answers incoming calls, and what should happen outside business hours?
- Do your employees work remotely or move between sites?
- Do you already use a collaboration platform that offers calling?
- When does your current phone contract end, and are there cancellation fees?
- Do you have special lines: fax, alarm system, elevator, payment terminal?
Pitfalls to avoid
- Cancelling your current service before the new provider has initiated the number transfer
- Leaving extensions without an up-to-date 9-1-1 address, especially for remote work
- Forgetting special lines, such as the alarm system or elevator, at cutover
- Cutting over without assessing the Internet connection
- Having no plan for an Internet or power outage
- Accepting service levels that are only described verbally
What to specify in your request
- The number of phone numbers, extensions and employees, and the sites to serve
- Your current provider and when the contract ends
- How calls should be received and routed
- The devices you want: desk phones, headsets, mobile app
- Special lines to keep
- Your current collaboration tools
- The target cutover date
You can then describe your project: the team will contact you to clarify your needs and provide a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can we keep our current numbers?
Often, yes. The CRTC recommends not cancelling your service before you switch and asking your new provider to handle the transfer. It notes that you might need a new number in some cases, for example when transferring from a landline to VoIP or changing local calling areas.
Does 9-1-1 work with VoIP?
Local VoIP service providers must provide 9-1-1 service and notify their customers of its limitations, according to the CRTC. The service nonetheless depends on power and on the Internet connection, and the address linked to each extension must be kept up to date.
What happens during an Internet outage?
Calls no longer go through the affected connection. The CRTC model notice recommends keeping an alternative service, such as a cell phone. Have the quote specify call forwarding options and how the system behaves during an outage.
Do we need new phones?
Not always. Some handsets can be reused if they are compatible with the proposed system. Employees can also use a headset and an app on their computer or cell phone. An inventory of your devices will tell you.
Which service levels should we require?
Have the support hours, how to report an outage, the priority given to a total outage and request follow-up specified in writing. These commitments should appear in the quote and in the contract.