NG911 NOW Coalition Presses for Next-Generation 911 Nationwide in 2020
The NG911 NOW Coalition backed a comprehensive national plan for the deployment of next-generation 911. NG911’s stated goal is to retire legacy 911 systems by the end of 2020. The coalition also promised in the report Monday to provide a “high-level cost estimate” for deploying NG911 across the U.S. and to “secure additional funding for NG9-1-1 through federal legislation.” Coalition officials said they're developing a legislative strategy to better bring the message to Capitol Hill. The coalition is made up of the National Emergency Number Association, the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT).
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“Congress has a lot on its plate, especially when you talk about funding needs,” said Don Brittingham, iCert vice chairman, in an interview. “It should have become pretty clear to folks now that 911 is a critical part of protecting the country. … It is an integral part of dealing with emergency issues that happen all the time.” Brittingham cited the mass shooting early Sunday in Orlando.
“If you look at this from a simple state and local emergency level, or from a national security level, making sure our emergency response systems are using the best technology available so that the public is best served, is critical,” Brittingham said. How people communicate is changing rapidly, with less focus on voice, he said. “I understand that our call to action to Congress might get lost in the chatter, but it’s something that really needs to happen.” NG911 has rolled out too slowly, he said. “It can’t wait any longer.” Brittingham said the group has held only “high-level” meetings on the Hill but is developing a legislative strategy.
“NG9-1-1 implementation is moving too slowly across the country, plagued by funding, governance, and other challenges, plus a lack of knowledge and understanding on the part of many elected officials and other stakeholders concerning the many benefits of NG9-1-1,” the coalition said in a report released Monday. “The NG9-1-1 NOW Coalition was created to do something about these challenges. This document is the first step in defining an action plan and a path forward that the Coalition and its supporters will undertake to achieve its goal by 2020.”
The coalition was unveiled in February with the support of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler (see 1602230059). In March, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., questioned whether Wheeler’s role in helping create an advocacy group was proper (see 1603210052). The FCC Task Force on Optimal Public Safety Answering Point Architecture (TFOPA) has also focused on NG911 funding (see 1605060063). Wheeler has long made NG911 a focus. In February, Wheeler told the TFOPA in his remaining time as chairman he planned to stress the importance of funding NG911 every time he appears before Congress (see 1601290051).
In addition to developing a legislative strategy for funding NG911, the coalition sought an education plan “focusing on the benefits of NG9-1-1, the consequences of delayed NG9-1-1 deployment, and the importance of sufficient and sustainable funding.” The coalition said it would support other initiatives already underway, including the TFOPA, the National 911 Office’s NG911 Cost Study, and continued development NG911 standards.
“It is vitally important to the safety and security of the nation and its citizens that the nation’s 911 systems keep pace with advancing technology,” said NENA CEO Brian Fontes in a news release. “The ongoing efforts of the Coalition to accelerate these services throughout the nation are an important step forward in achieving that goal.”
Some industry observers question how much success the coalition will have pushing through NG911.
“I am sad to say I don't expect anything to happen until we have another large-scale tragedy that reveals the problems” with 911, said Roger Entner, analyst at Recon Analytics. “It is difficult to see a great sense of urgency.” Count me as a skeptic, said a former FCC spectrum official. “Less than 5 percent of jurisdictions have implemented text-to-911, which has been in place on the carrier side since 2014,” the former official said. “I don’t see this latest effort as changing the dynamic.”
Wheeler’s advocacy of NG911 isn’t helping, said Richard Bennett, free-market blogger and network architect. Wheeler is “adding friction to an already troubled relationship with Congress and discouraging state and local funding initiatives,” Bennett told us. “Some localities are more inclined to support technology upgrades than others, so nationalizing funding expectations is counter-productive.” The FCC didn't comment.