NG911 in Canada: what actually changes for your business phones

If you've seen "NG911" in a carrier notice or an industry newsletter and wondered whether it means work for you, you're not alone. Canada is replacing the 911 system it has used for decades, and there's a firm date for it. For most businesses the switch itself is invisible. But it's a good moment to check something that matters a lot more than the network underneath: whether a 911 call from your office would actually send help to the right place.

What NG911 is, in plain terms

The 911 network most of Canada still uses was built around copper landlines. A call comes in, the system looks up the address registered to that phone number, and the call is passed to the local 911 centre (officially, a public safety answering point) with that address attached.

NG911 replaces that with an internet-based network. Voice calls work the same way from the caller's side, but the plumbing is digital end to end. Over time, that opens the door to features the old system can't handle, like sending photos or video to a 911 centre. Those features will arrive as each 911 centre adds them, not all at once.

The timeline has moved a few times. The CRTC originally wanted the old network shut down by June 2023, then moved that to March 2025. In early 2025 it set a new date: March 31, 2027. The phone companies' side has largely been ready. The holdup has been the roughly 240 911 centres across the country, which each have to upgrade their own equipment and processes. The CRTC was asked to reconsider the 2027 date and kept it.

What changes for your business

Honestly, very little on your end.

• You still dial 911. Nothing changes about how anyone in your office places an emergency call.
• You don't need new phones for NG911. Your desk phones and softphones connect to your phone provider, and your provider connects to the 911 network. The upgrade happens on the network side.
• Your provider has to be connected properly. Every phone company that carries 911 calls has to be set up to deliver them into the new networks. This is your provider's job, not yours, but it's fair to ask them directly whether they're ready.

If your provider gives you a confident yes, the switchover itself shouldn't be something you notice.

What NG911 won't fix: your address on file

Here's the part that actually matters for businesses. When someone dials 911 from your office, the dispatcher sees the location your phone provider has on file for that number. A new network delivers that information faster and more reliably, but it can't make it correct. If the address is wrong, help goes to the wrong place.

Some common ways a business ends up with the wrong 911 address:

• The office moved, but the phone numbers came along. Numbers get ported or reassigned to the new space, and the 911 address stays at the old one.
• Several locations share one address. A company with a head office and two branches often has every number registered to head office. A call from a branch shows up as head office.
• The building is big or confusing. "123 Main Street" doesn't help much in a multi-storey building or a site with a separate warehouse. Responders need the floor, suite or building.
• A desk phone went home. VoIP desk phones work anywhere there's internet. Plug one in at home and it still reports the office address.

None of these are NG911 problems, and none of them get solved by NG911. They get solved by keeping your 911 information accurate.

Remote and hybrid staff

Softphones on laptops and mobile apps are the trickiest case. The phone has no fixed location, so the address on file can easily be wrong on any given day.

CRTC rules require providers of this kind of VoIP service to let customers update their emergency address online and to confirm it when a billing address changes. Depending on how the service is set up, a 911 call from a softphone may first go to a specialized call centre that confirms where the caller is before passing the call to the right 911 centre.

The practical advice for your staff is simple. When calling 911 from a softphone, or from any work phone that isn't at its usual desk, say your location right away and don't hang up until the dispatcher says so. If your system lets users update their own emergency address, show staff where that setting is.

Check how your phone system dials 911

Older phone systems often required dialling 9 for an outside line, which meant 911 had to be dialled as 9-911. Under stress, people dial 911 and nothing happens, or they dial 9-911 on a system that doesn't need the 9.

The CRTC has published best practices for multi-line phone systems that address this and a few related issues. The main points translate into a short list:

• 911 should work whether someone dials 911 or 9-911.
• 911 calls should go straight to the 911 centre, not to reception or a security desk that then calls 911 for you.
• Each phone, or each group of phones in the same area, should report a location specific enough for responders to find the caller.
• The 911 centre should be able to call back the person who called, not just your main number.

Many cloud phone systems can also alert a manager or reception when someone dials 911, so someone can meet responders at the door. It doesn't replace any of the above, but it helps in a large building.

Don't test by calling 911

It's tempting to check your setup by dialling 911 and hanging up. Please don't. Unannounced test calls tie up 911 centres, and a hang-up can trigger a callback or even a dispatch. If you want to confirm what location a phone reports, ask your provider. They can check what's on file for each number without involving the 911 centre.

A short checklist

1. Ask your phone provider whether they're connected to the NG911 networks in your area.
2. Get a list of the 911 address on file for each of your phone numbers and check every one.
3. Make sure each location, and large areas within a location, has its own address details.
4. Confirm 911 works with and without a 9 in front, and goes straight out rather than to reception.
5. Find out how softphones and remote staff are handled, and tell staff to state their location when they call.
6. Add a step to your office move and new branch process: update 911 addresses before the first day in the new space.

How Vantact handles 911

• Delivery: 911 calls are delivered through a dedicated 911 service provider that handles the connection to the 911 network.
• Addresses: every phone number has its own 911 address, and each number belongs to a single extension. That means each extension can report its own location, down to the floor or suite.
• Remote staff and softphones: a softphone or remote phone reports the 911 address registered to its number, which is usually the office. Staff calling 911 away from their desk should give their location right away. If someone works from home permanently, we can register their home address on their number.
• Alerts: when someone dials 911, the system can notify any person or email address you choose, so someone knows to meet responders.

Because every Vantact system is set up and managed for you, we set the 911 address for each number at installation and update it whenever you let us know about a move. If you're planning one, tell us early so your addresses are right on day one.

This guide is general information about 911 in Canada, current as of the date above. Deadlines and requirements are set by the CRTC and can change, so check the CRTC's 911 information or ask your provider for the latest.