NARUC Members Raise Questions About Satellite Security, Privacy in 911 Location Accuracy Rules
Questions about the security of using non-U.S. satellite constellations to supplement GPS in determining wireless 911 caller locations and privacy concerns related to phone functionality during a 911 call will require further debate, industry executives said Wednesday during a panel at NARUC’s meeting. Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Tim Schram asked what cybersecurity measures U.S. carriers should take if they use non-U.S. global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). NARUC Telecom Committee Chairman Chris Nelson, chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, asked whether Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities on cellphones should automatically be enabled when someone calls 911.
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FCC January rules on 911 indoor wireless location accuracy (see 1501290066) include several “game-changer” provisions that will improve the accuracy of 911 location technology, but the commission is using a separate process for determining how carriers should use non-U.S. GNSS, said Timothy May, FCC Public Safety Bureau policy analyst-Policy and Licensing Division. The security of GNSS like Russia’s GLONASS satellite constellation have been questioned, though T-Mobile Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager Eric Hagerson said he believes “a little bit too much has been made” about GLONASS’s security. “It’s just an additional satellite constellation” that could improve location accuracy, he said. “It’s not going to shut down America’s 911 system or anything like that.” Mobile devices have built-in capabilities that can allow U.S. companies to control connectivity to GNSS, which will give them time to “delve deeper” into those issues, TeleCommunication Systems Chief Marketing Officer Tim Lorello said.
Carriers are having discussions about whether Wi-Fi and Bluetooth should automatically be enabled when a caller dials 911, as currently happens with GPS functionality, Hagerson said. Cellphones don’t enable Wi-Fi functionality when 911 is dialed if it’s not already enabled. “I personally think it’s settled that when someone dials 911, the assumption is they want to be found,” Hagerson said. Nelson said he raised the issue because FCC 911 location accuracy rules explore the possibility of using wireless access points and Wi-Fi to aid in location accuracy. “Privacy is a great concern of mine” and changes in technology “present new challenges,” he said.