How VoIP E911 Works in Canada — What to Know

Emergency 911 access is a non-negotiable requirement for any business phone system, and it is one of the most common questions we field from businesses considering a switch to VoIP. The short answer is that Canadian VoIP providers are legally required to provide Enhanced 911 (E911) service, and a compliant hosted VoIP system transmits your location to emergency dispatchers the same way a traditional landline does. But there are important differences in how it works — differences every VoIP user should understand.

What Is E911?

Basic 911 connects your call to an emergency dispatcher. Enhanced 911 (E911) goes a step further: it automatically transmits your location information — your civic address — to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) along with your call. This means that even if you cannot speak to give your address, the dispatcher already has it on screen.

E911 has been a standard feature of traditional landlines for decades. The address associated with a landline number is tied to the physical copper connection at your premises — so when you dial 911 from a landline, the address transmitted is simply where that line physically terminates. This happens automatically and requires no maintenance from the subscriber.

Canadian E911 Regulations for VoIP Providers

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requires all Canadian VoIP providers to offer E911 service. This obligation is codified in CRTC decisions dating back to 2005 and updated subsequently as VoIP adoption grew. The requirement applies to both residential and business VoIP services.

Under CRTC rules, a VoIP provider must:

• Transmit the subscriber's registered civic address to the appropriate PSAP when 911 is dialled.
• Notify subscribers of the limitations of VoIP E911 compared to traditional landline 911 — specifically that the address is based on registration rather than physical connection.
• Provide a mechanism for subscribers to update their registered address when they move.

ACVoIP is fully compliant with these requirements. See our dedicated E911 information page →

How Your Address Is Transmitted to Emergency Services

When you sign up for VoIP service with ACVoIP, you register your civic address — the physical location where the service will be used. This address is stored in a database maintained by the VoIP provider and linked to your phone number.

When you dial 911, your call is routed to the appropriate PSAP for your registered location, and your address is transmitted automatically as part of the call setup. The dispatcher sees your address on their screen before they even speak to you — the same experience they have when receiving a traditional landline 911 call.

The key distinction is the source of that address. On a landline, the address is derived from the physical wire — it cannot be wrong unless the telephone company's records are incorrect. On VoIP, the address is derived from your account registration. If your registered address is outdated, the wrong location will be transmitted to dispatchers. This is why keeping your E911 address current is not just a formality — it is a safety obligation.

Differences Between E911 on VoIP vs. Traditional Landline

Understanding where VoIP E911 differs from a traditional landline helps you use the service safely:

• Address is registration-based, not connection-based. If you move your office and forget to update your E911 address, your 911 calls will route to the PSAP and address associated with your old location. On a landline this cannot happen — moving the line means the address automatically updates.
• Internet outages affect VoIP calls. If your internet connection goes down, you cannot make VoIP calls — including 911. This is a scenario a traditional copper landline does not face, since it operates on its own power and infrastructure. ACVoIP recommends that businesses maintain an alternative means of reaching 911 (such as a mobile phone) in the event of an internet outage.
• Power outages may affect VoIP if your router loses power.Traditional landlines often work during power outages because they draw power from the phone company's network. VoIP requires your router and internet equipment to be powered. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for your networking equipment mitigates this.

Remote Workers and E911 — What You Need to Know

This is the area where VoIP E911 requires the most careful attention from businesses with remote or hybrid employees. When a staff member uses a business VoIP extension from their home or from a remote location, the E911 address associated with that extension is still the one registered in your account — which may be your office address, not the employee's home address.

If that employee dials 911 from home using their business VoIP extension, emergency services will be dispatched to the office address, not the employee's actual location. This is a serious safety gap that businesses must address proactively.

The solution is to register a separate E911 address for each remote extension. ACVoIP supports per-extension E911 address registration. When you provision an extension for a home-based employee, we configure it with that employee's home address. If they move — temporarily or permanently — that address needs to be updated.

We strongly recommend making E911 address accuracy part of your onboarding checklist for new remote employees and your review process whenever anyone changes their primary work location.

How to Keep Your E911 Address Updated

Updating your E911 address with ACVoIP is straightforward. You can do it through your account web portal, or by contacting our local support team directly. Changes take effect promptly — there is no multi-day processing delay.

Situations that should trigger an E911 address review:

• Your business moves to a new office location
• You open a second location and assign extensions there
• A staff member begins working remotely on a permanent or semi-permanent basis
• A remote employee moves to a new home address
• You add a new extension for a staff member at a different site

If you are unsure whether your current E911 addresses are correct, contact our support team and we will review your account with you.

ACVoIP E911 Compliance

ACVoIP meets all CRTC requirements for VoIP E911 service. Every new account is set up with an E911 address during onboarding, and we provide clear instructions on how to keep it updated. Our terms of service include the required disclosures about VoIP E911 limitations, and we proactively notify customers when they add remote extensions that may require separate address registration.

For the full details of how our E911 service works, including what happens when you dial 911 and how addresses are routed to the correct PSAP, visit our dedicated E911 page. For a broader overview of business VoIP in Calgary, see our business VoIP guide.