GlossaryDispatch and call records
Emergency services IP network
An emergency services Internet Protocol network (ESInet) is a managed communications network used to carry emergency-services communications.
An emergency services Internet Protocol network (ESInet) is a managed communications network used to carry emergency-services communications. Internet Protocol is the set of rules that lets connected systems exchange data. An ESInet supports the connections behind emergency communications; its existence alone does not establish every service available to callers.
Where the term appears
ESInet appears in 911 modernization plans, regional agreements, budgets, and service contracts. The Federal Communications Commission's ESInet definition describes it as an IP-based network operated or managed by a 911 authority or its agents or vendors for emergency-services communications, including next-generation 911.
Think of the network as one part of the service. Answering-center equipment, call-routing functions, operating arrangements, and connections with telephone providers also affect what a complete system can do. A procurement announcement about a network does not by itself document the completion of all those parts.
Example
Hypothetical example: Three counties contract for a shared ESInet connecting their emergency answering centers. One county's budget says its connection is active; another is still replacing call-handling equipment.
The shared network describes communications infrastructure. It does not show that all three counties have completed the same transition or can accept every type of emergency communication on the same date. A separate deployment report would be needed to establish those capabilities.
Common confusion
Next-generation 911 describes the broader modernization of emergency calling and associated services. ESInet names the supporting network. A public safety answering point is an answering center, rather than the network connecting centers and other components.
“IP” also does not mean that the network is an ordinary public website. The definition concerns managed emergency-services communications.
Reading a local plan
Look for the network operator, participating centers, service area, implementation stage, and supported functions. Preserve the plan's distinction between contracted, installed, tested, and operational services when summarizing progress.