CTIA raised questions about a proposed FCC requirement...
CTIA raised questions about a proposed FCC requirement that public safety answering points must provide bounceback messages for 911 calls in cases where they normally can handle emergency texts but are unable to for a given period. The FCC is…
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set to take up an order at its meeting Thursday requiring all wireless carriers and providers of interconnected text message services to give consumers automatic bounceback messages by Sept. 30 when they try to send a text message to a 911 call center that isn’t capable of handling texts. Major carriers must be able to transmit bounceback messages by June 30 under an agreement reached last year between the four major national carriers, the National Emergency Number Association and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (CD Dec 10 p1). One issue that hasn’t been part of public discussions is the PSAP requirement, the subject of recent meetings between CTIA and FCC officials, said an ex parte filing (http://bit.ly/10CoVpM). The mandate isn’t necessary, CTIA said. “The concept of providing PSAP initiated bounce back messages was not previously considered as part of the Carrier-NENA-APCO voluntary agreement,” the group said. “Even if the Commission does require a PSAP initiated bounce back messages, CTIA and the wireless participants noted that a standard method should be developed in order to avoid diverting critical PSAP resources when such bounce back messages are necessary.” CTIA said the requirement would apparently kick in only when “1) the wireless provider offers text-to-911 services to its subscribers, 2) the appropriate PSAP has requested and is accepting such text-to-911 messages sent from wireless subscribers, and 3) the PSAP, at that point in time, determines that the PSAP can no longer accept or process text-to-911 messages and requests that a wireless provider send a bounce back message to its subscribers.” Commission officials noted in December that it will likely be many years before most PSAPs are capable of handling emergency texts to 911 (CD Dec 13 p12).