E-Comm is migrating British Columbia’s 911 service to a next-generation digital network over the next two months as part of a CRTC-mandated transition.
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British Columbia residents making emergency calls to 911 are expected to transition to a new “next-generation” 911 system as E-Comm migrates services over the coming two months. E-Comm provides 911 services to 99% of callers in B.C., and said the change will replace the analog infrastructure currently used in B.C. and Canada.
The transition is federally mandated through the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). E-Comm said migrations will be staggered, with some Vancouver-area communities already having gone live, and further transitions continuing through to the end of November.
For most callers, E-Comm said the change should be largely invisible in day-to-day use. Residents will still call 911 in the same way and be routed to the service they require, with the key differences focused on the underlying digital network and capabilities it enables.
E-Comm said the NG911 migration will lay the groundwork for future enhancements aimed at improving public and first-responder safety. The company pointed to potential capabilities such as real-time text to 911, more accurate caller information, and the ability to share streaming video, while noting these features are not part of the initial transition during 2026.
The migration is supported by a $150-million investment from the B.C. government. E-Comm added that some capabilities depend on a broader national rollout and timing set by the CRTC.
Along with largely seamless routing, E-Comm identified one public-facing change: an automated callback system designed to manage an expected increase in rapid hang-up calls. The company said the new digital network will detect all calls, including calls that disconnect within milliseconds and are not received by E-Comm today, which could lead to more accidental “pocket dials” reaching the system.
To address this, E-Comm said the system will automatically follow up on quick hang-up calls. If a call disconnects almost immediately before it reaches a call taker, NG911 will place a callback using the ten-digit number associated with the original call. Callers will hear a recorded message and can press 1 to reconnect with 911 or press 3 to indicate the call was accidental.
E-Comm said if the callback goes unanswered, a second automated callback will be placed. The company advised residents they can learn more about how the callback system works on E-Comm’s website, and framed the change as a practical response to the operational differences introduced by NG911’s faster digital detection.
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