Version françaiseGet my number
Menu

Launch: free number transfer, no activation fee. Get it

Practical guide

9-1-1 and internet phone service: what you need to know

With a landline, emergency services know where the call comes from. With a mobile, the network helps locate you. With an internet phone service you can use anywhere, it is different. This guide explains why, what the CRTC requires of providers and what you can do to be ready the day you need it.

Guides · Reviewed · 4 min read

Fixed and nomadic: two kinds of internet phone service

The CRTC distinguishes fixed internet phone services, used at a single address, from nomadic services, which can be used wherever there is a connection. An app on your mobile or computer is a nomadic service: the network can't automatically know where you are when you call.

How a 9-1-1 call is routed

With a nomadic service, a 9-1-1 call is usually answered first by a specialized emergency call centre. An agent asks where you are, then transfers the call to the local 9-1-1 centre. That extra step is why you should state your location clearly right away.

  • Say your address, city and province right away.
  • Don't hang up until you are told to; if the call drops, call back.
  • The agent may not have your callback number or address on screen.

What the CRTC requires of providers

Local internet phone service providers must give access to 9-1-1 and clearly inform their customers of the service's limits, before service starts and on an ongoing basis. They must also get confirmation that the customer understands these limits. That is why a serious app shows you a 9-1-1 notice and asks for your address before your first call.

When 9-1-1 may not work

  • Internet outage, Wi‑Fi down, mobile data unavailable or a connection that is too weak.
  • Power outage, or a phone, modem or computer with a dead battery.
  • App closed by the system, uninstalled or out of date.
  • Registered address wrong, or forgotten after a move.
  • Use outside Canada: the call may not reach local emergency services.

Five steps to be ready

  1. Register the exact civic address where you use the service, and update it every time you change location: cottage, move, long stay.
  2. Keep another way to call: a charged mobile or a landline, especially if the internet number is your main line.
  3. If your modem is your only access, consider backup power; no power means no internet.
  4. Tell the other people who use the line (family, babysitter, staff, guests) about these limits.
  5. Keep the app up to date and check from time to time that you can call.

Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired people

Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) is offered by mobile carriers to people registered with their carrier; it doesn't go through an internet phone app. Relay services may also have 9-1-1 limits. Check with your mobile carrier and your relay service.

The cottage, travel and remote work

The registered address most often becomes wrong when you leave: a weekend at the cottage, a stay with family, a week of remote work in another city. Make a habit of updating the address when you arrive, the same way you would turn off the water heater when leaving. If you don't know the exact civic address of a cottage, ask the owner or look on the tax bill: a lake or road name is not always enough for emergency services.

Outside Canada, the app may keep working to call Canada, but a 9-1-1 call may not reach local emergency services, and the emergency number is not the same everywhere. Before a trip, write down the emergency number of the country you are visiting and use a local phone if needed.

For businesses and remote workers

In a business that uses internet phone service, each employee may work from a different place: office, home, job site. The address tied to each line must therefore be the place where that person actually works. Explain the rule when you hire, repeat it when someone changes workplace, and post the 9-1-1 limits near shared phones. Visitors and temporary staff should know that an emergency call from the app must start with the exact address.

Also keep a landline or a mobile within reach where people work alone or in risky conditions. An internet service is an excellent work tool, but it should not be the only way to reach emergency services in a warehouse, a workshop or a job site.

Testing without bothering emergency services

Don't dial 9-1-1 to "try it out": emergency centres must handle every call. If you dial 9-1-1 by mistake, stay on the line and explain that it was a mistake instead of hanging up; otherwise the centre may have to call you back or send someone. To check that your service works, call an ordinary number instead, and confirm in the app that your address is registered.

With MIMT

MIMT is a nomadic service. 9-1-1 is never blocked by your plan, minute limits or balance. Outgoing calls to phone numbers are turned on only after you register your address and accept the 9-1-1 notice. Read our 9-1-1 page before using the service.