FCC Chmn. Powell touted the progress of Enhanced 911 deployment t...

kicked off the initiative to examine E911 implementation issues. At the previous, Oct. initiative meeting also, Powell had cited Phase 2 deployment growth, saying rollouts had jumped 300% in 7 months. At Tues.’ meeting, he said R.I. and Vt. are the first states to report implementing Phase 2 in 100% of PSAPs. “Tennessee is expected to join the list in June,” he said. Separately, Powell cited the agreement between the National Emergency Number Assn. (NENA) and the Voice on the Net (VON) Coalition on how VoIP providers will deliver location information to PSAPs. It “exemplifies what can be achieved from public/private partnerships,” he said. “While the Commission grapples with this issue, it is encouraging to know that consumers are being provided some basic level of E911 capability for VoIP services.” In opening remarks at the 2- day meeting, Powell said the effectiveness of location capability needed to continue improving in “challenging areas.” He recently outlined the creation of a technical group to focus on E911 network architecture and technical standards issues as part of the Network Reliability & Interoperability Council (NRIC). “Measuring and improving the accuracy of E911 location information will be a priority,” he said. The council’s latest iteration, NRIC VII, will examine issues presented by IP protocol and open network architecture for E911 and public safety. “This hard work should result in more accurate and reliable E911 service to wireless subscribers across the nation, whether in small rural communities or big urban corridors,” he said. “There may be deployment challenges in bringing E911 location capability to geographically challenging environments, but the lifesaving capabilities of the service are too vital not to be extended to all subscribers, including rural subscribers.” Another focus of the 2-day meeting is how 911 services can be provided to multi-line telephone systems (MLTS). In an order adopted in Nov. on the scope of E911 regulations, the FCC declined for now to approve national rules for MLTS, instead encouraging states to use model legislation adopted by public safety groups. The Commission said it expected states to act promptly, indicating it would release a public notice in a year to evaluate their progress. “While many may need more time to act, the danger associated with not having location technology for these systems is only growing and E911 capability is just as vital to consumers in this circumstance as with wireless,” Powell said.