911 Calls From Retired Phones 'Growing Burden,' Says Harris County
Non-service initialized (NSI) phone calls “are a growing burden and must be addressed if PSAPs [public safety answering points] are to provide acceptable service levels to the public,” said the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network. The Texas group met…
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with the FCC Public Safety Bureau March 1, said a March 20 ex-parte letter in docket 8-51. NSI phones are retired wireless devices that can still make 911 calls because the FCC requires it. The commission asked comment last year on dropping the policy (see 1609140030). NSI calls are at least 10 percent of total call volume, but they are seldom emergencies, Harris County said. The county doesn’t seek to inhibit anyone from calling 911, “but with the growing numbers and the fact there is no subscriber information or ability to place a callback, the service to the public is not adequate,” it said. The county, which includes Houston, warned the FCC that 911 app developer claims that their apps provide better information to the public are often inaccurate or misleading. On the Next-Generation 911 transition, it said it's “imperative … that a competitive choice-driven market is fostered and maintained.”