NG911 Needs Certainty on Jurisdiction, Funding, Standards, FCBA Committee Told
Migrating to Next Generation 911 requires clarity on jurisdiction, funding and technical standards, speakers said during an FCBA Homeland Security and Emergency Communications Committee meeting Wednesday.
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The FCC is working on jurisdictions issues on many fronts, including Next Generation 911, said David Furth, deputy chief of the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. There’s the potential for Congressional action to give FCC the authority to regulate broadband, he said, but there’s no one single agency that can or should own NG911. It’s about different federal and state and local agencies working together, he said. There’s an element of collaboration, said Laurie Flaherty, a program analyst with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Some collaborative effort goes beyond formal jurisdiction, she said. The FCC is seeking comments on the appropriate role for the FCC, states and local governments in transitioning and deployment of NG911 services in its notice of inquiry last December, said Patrick Donovan, a Public Safety Bureau attorney adviser.
NG911 is about dealing with a large ecosystem that involves a complicated regulatory environment, Furth said. There’s a lot of overlapping jurisdiction, he said. Many states are initiating IP-based 911 services and making their 911 systems more efficient, he said. Regulators are looking at creating a regulatory framework (without burdening the ecosystem) that would leverage existing platforms, he said. It’s important to keep track of who’s doing what and at what stage, Flaherty said. She said the National Association of State 911 Administrators is working on its Model State 911 Plan, intended to help states to best prepare for the NG911.
Funding for the Next Generation 911 system should be put front and center in all proposals and debates, said Brian Fontes, CEO of the National Emergency Number Association. There are a variety of fees associated with 911 services and public safety agencies would need to have access to funding to access and use the public safety network, he said. The FCC recognizes that funding is crucial to NG911 though its NOI didn’t address the funding issue, Donovan said. The FCC is working closely with NHTSA, which is preparing a study to address the barriers and concern over funding issues, he said.
NG911 is about the multimedia services that can be brought to public safety entities, said Jim Bugel, assistant vice president with AT&T. The tremendous amount of data needs to be managed, he said. Without governance and standardization, NG911 communication would only be an overflow of data, he said. The future of the 911 system is more than just receiving data from multiple points, it’s also about analyzing the data, he said. The majority of 911 calls are made by wireless devices, Fontes said. With the explosion of consumer devices, vendors should factor in 911 capabilities when they develop services and applications, he said. A comprehensive technical standard for NG911 is needed, speakers said.