Emergency Services (911) Disclosure Notice

Table of Contents

  • Introduction

  • Canada 911 Disclosure

  • United States 911 Disclosure

Introduction

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO USERS OF TEXTPLUS SERVICES:
This document provides critical information about the limitations and operation of 911 emergency services through textPlus VoIP services, specifically including our text+ and next+ mobile applications.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that transmits voice and multimedia communications over the internet. Although VoIP services may resemble traditional telephone services, there are important differences, especially regarding how emergency (911) calls function.

Please carefully read the appropriate section based on your location:

  • If you are located in Canada, please review the Canada 911 Disclosure.

  • If you are located in the United States, please review the United States 911 Disclosure.

Canada 911 Disclosure

Overview

Emergency calling through our VoIP service (including text+ and next+ apps) in Canada has specific characteristics and limitations that differ from traditional 911 services. Understanding these differences is crucial for your safety.

Important: If you allow anyone else to use your device or service, you must inform them that 911 calls work differently than on traditional phones and explain these limitations.

How Emergency Calls Work

When you make a 911 call in Canada with your Canada-based textPlus phone number, your call will likely be routed to a specialized third-party emergency call center. Unlike traditional wireline or wireless phone services, we do not maintain physical location information on file and rely solely on your device's GPS location (if permission is granted). If your device's GPS location is not available or you've denied permission, your emergency call may not connect or may be routed to a specialized call center.

This call center is different from the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which answers traditional 911 calls with automatically generated address information. You will therefore be required to provide your name, address, and telephone number to the call center operator.

Important Information for Emergency Calls

  • Location Information: Immediately state your precise location when calling

  • Stay Connected: Do not disconnect until instructed by the dispatcher

  • Call Back: If disconnected, call back immediately

  • Connection Time: Due to factors such as network congestion, 911 calls may experience delays or busy signals

  • Service Limitations: Emergency calling may not function properly or at all during:

    • Equipment failure or incorrect configuration

    • Power outages

    • Internet service disruptions

    • Service suspension or termination

    • Disabled or unavailable GPS location services

Alternative Services

If you are not comfortable with these limitations, we recommend maintaining an alternative means of accessing traditional emergency services.

Limitations of Liability

textPlus utilizes third-party providers to route your 911 calls to appropriate emergency response centers. Accordingly, we do not control whether or how promptly these calls are answered, handled, or dispatched by emergency personnel. textPlus expressly disclaims all responsibility related to:

  • Your ability or inability to clearly communicate the emergency details, including nature, urgency, and location, to emergency responders

  • Any equipment malfunction or connectivity issues (such as internet outages, data disruption, or hardware failure) that prevent you from reaching emergency services

BY USING TEXTPLUS SERVICES (INCLUDING TEXT+ AND NEXT+ APPS), YOU AGREE THAT TEXTPLUS AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS, AND SUPPLIERS (COLLECTIVELY, "TEXTPLUS PARTIES") WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY FAILURE TO CONNECT OR COMMUNICATE WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES THROUGH OUR SERVICES. YOU FURTHER AGREE TO RELEASE, DEFEND, AND INDEMNIFY TEXTPLUS PARTIES FROM ALL CLAIMS, LIABILITIES, DAMAGES, LOSSES, AND EXPENSES (INCLUDING LEGAL FEES) ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO ANY FAILURE IN ACCESSING 911 SERVICES OR ANY INACCURATE OR FAILED TRANSMISSION OF YOUR LOCATION INFORMATION THROUGH OUR SERVICES.

Note: This policy is subject to change. Any changes to this policy will be posted at https://textplus.com/911-disclosures. You are responsible for reviewing any such changes. Your continued use of the service constitutes your acknowledgement of and agreement to such changes.

United States 911 Disclosure

Overview

Emergency calling through our VoIP service (including text+ and next+ apps) differs from traditional 911 services. Please review these important differences and limitations carefully.

Important: If you allow anyone else to use your device or service, you must inform them that 911 calls function differently and explain these limitations.

How Emergency Calls Work

When you place a 911 call using our service with your US-based textPlus phone number, your phone number will not necessarily correspond with your physical location and we do not maintain physical location information on file. Our third-party providers attempt to automatically route your call to the designated emergency call center using device-based GPS location information if you have consented.

If you have not consented to GPS location usage or if your call cannot be routed properly, your emergency call may fail or be routed to a specialized call center. In that situation, you must immediately provide your name, address, and telephone number to the call center operator.

Important Information for Emergency Calls

  • Location Information: Always immediately state your location during an emergency call

  • Stay Connected: Remain on the line until instructed to disconnect

  • Call Back: Immediately call back if disconnected

  • Service Limitations: Emergency calling may not function properly or at all during:

    • Equipment failure or incorrect configuration

    • Power outages

    • Internet service disruptions

    • Service suspension or termination

    • Disabled or unavailable GPS location services

Alternative Services

If you are uncomfortable with these limitations, we recommend maintaining an alternative means of accessing traditional emergency services.

Limitations of Liability

textPlus relies upon third-party providers to route 911 calls. Consequently, we have no control over whether, how quickly, or effectively calls placed via our service are handled. textPlus expressly disclaims responsibility for:

  • Your ability to clearly communicate the nature, urgency, or precise location of an emergency.

  • Proper functioning of your equipment or any connectivity issues (internet, data, or hardware) affecting emergency service access.

BY USING TEXTPLUS SERVICES (INCLUDING TEXT+ AND NEXT+ APPS), YOU AGREE THAT TEXTPLUS AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND SUPPLIERS (COLLECTIVELY, "TEXTPLUS PARTIES") ARE NOT LIABLE FOR FAILURES OR DELAYS IN CONNECTING WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES. YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, AND HOLD HARMLESS TEXTPLUS PARTIES FROM CLAIMS, LIABILITIES, DAMAGES, LOSSES, OR EXPENSES (INCLUDING LEGAL FEES) ARISING FROM FAILURE TO ACCESS OR INACCURATE TRANSMISSION OF LOCATION INFORMATION FOR 911 SERVICES.

Note: This policy is subject to change. Any changes to this policy will be posted at https://textplus.com/911-disclosures. You are responsible for reviewing any such changes. Your continued use of the service constitutes your acknowledgement of and agreement to such changes.