Register for T9-1-1 Services

WHAT IS T9-1-1?

T9-1-1 is a registered service that lets Virgin Plus Members who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired communicate with 911 call centres by text (SMS) rather than talking.

To use the T9-1-1 service Members must:

Register for the T9-1-1 service
Have a T9-1-1 compatible phone

For complete information on the T9-1-1 service please head to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association’s website.

WHO CAN REGISTER FOR T9-1-1?

T9-1-1 is for Members who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.

To register for T9-1-1 service you'll need:

A My Account profile with Virgin Plus
A valid Virgin Plus phone number
A rate plan that supports text messaging (SMS)
A compatible mobile phone.

Please don’t test the T9-1-1 service by calling 911 after you’ve registered. Contacting 911 should only be done in a real emergency.

Heads Up! Once you’ve registered, it may take up to 5 business days for your T9-1-1 services to be activated and available.

Have a prepaid account? Register your phone here.

T9-1-1 IS FREE.

T9-1-1 is a free service for all Virgin Plus Members who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. You won’t be charged for any text messages received from or sent to a 911 call centre during a T9-1-1 text session.

HOW TO MAKE A T9-1-1 CALL?

Heads up! Don’t text the digits 9-1-1 to initiate your T9-1-1 service.

For complete information on the T9-1-1 service, including an instructional video please visit: Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association’s website

You must already have registered for the T9-1-1 service.
Unlock your phone’s keypad.
Even though you can dial 911 on a locked keypad, some phones can’t send or receive text messages when the keypad is locked.

Unlock your phone’s keypad by entering a personal password or pressing an unlock button on your phone.
Dial 9-1-1 on your phone to place a regular emergency voice call.
Make sure your call connects and that you receive an initial text message from a 911 call centre.
Watch your phone’s display to make sure the call is connected. Once the call is connected, you should receive an initial text message from a 911 call centre. If you don’t receive the initial text message within two minutes, end the voice call and redial 9-1-1.
The initial text message will come from a number with 13 digits starting with 555911. This number identifies the call centre you’re texting with.
Provide the call centre with you location and emergency info. Once you get the initial text message, you should reply with a message that provides any information they request, like the nature of the emergency and your location. To speed up communication, keep your text messages as short as possible
If possible, keep the 9-1-1 voice call connected during the entire text messaging session. This will let the 911 operator hear any background noises that may help assess the emergency and will provide enhanced 911 functions.
Depending on your province and the emergency services you need, you may be transferred to a new number that begins with 555911 during the T9-1-1 session to access fire, police or emergency medical services. Always send messages to the current 555911 number.
You’ll know when your T9-1-1 session is over when you receive the message: “End of 9-1-1 Call”. If you don’t get an “End of 9-1-1 Call” or further response, you can send a text message asking if the 911 conversation has ended. If you receive an error message, the T9-1-1 session has ended.
If you need to continue your communication with the 911 call centre after receiving the “End of 9-1-1 Call” message, you’ll need to redial 9-1-1 on your phone and communicate again by replying to the text message.

Heads Up!

T9-1-1 is not compatible with Wi-Fi Calling.
Always call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
9-1-1 support is limited over Wi-Fi.
Head to http://www.virginplus.ca/en/support/wifi-calling.html for more information.

MAKE SURE YOUR PHONE IS T9-1-1 COMPATIBLE.

It’s your responsibility to make sure your phone is compatible with the T-9-1-1 service.

Check whether your Virgin Plus phone is compatible.

If your phone isn’t on the list, then it’s not compatible with the T9-1-1 service. Use this list only if you have purchased your phone from Virgin Plus or an authorized Virgin Plus store. Virgin Plus can’t provide compatibility info on phones not purchased from Virgin Plus or an authorized Virgin Plus store.

If you don’t know manufacturer and model of your Virgin Plus phone, you can:

Check the information printed on the box.
Check the label in the battery compartment.
Check the phone settings (e.g. Options > About).

If you’re getting a new Virgin Plus phone and plan to use the T9-1-1 service, check the list to make sure your new phone is on it.

Heads Up! If you own multiple phones, only the phone(s) assigned to registered mobile phone number(s) will work with the T9-1-1 service.

Only the default SMS application on your phone will support T9-1-1. Using any SMS application other than the one that comes with your phone, like a third-party SMS application, may prevent T9-1-1 from working.

WHERE IS THE T9-1-1 SERVICE AVAILABLE?

The T9-1-1 service is currently available in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Calgary, Metro Vancouver and the York and Peel Regions in Ontario.

For more information on T9-1-1 availability please check the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association website