Carriers Urge Caution on Vertical Standard for 911; First Responders Want Action
AT&T supports a 3-meter standard vertical location (z-axis) accuracy metric for indoor wireless calls to 911 but technological challenges remain. The FCC got varying advice in initial comments (see 1905210061) and replies show little movement toward consensus. Replies were due FCC Tuesday in docket 07-114 and most posted Wednesday.
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“All known methods for calculating a z-axis estimate involve handset software and there are no network-only solutions,” AT&T said. It acknowledged APCO comments that the FCC should drop plans to impose the metric and focus instead on dispatchable location solutions (see 1905200025). “Given the variances in building structural characteristics and terrain ... imposition of a floor level data requirement is infeasible,” the carrier said: “Use of dispatchable location information also introduces implementation obstacles.”
CTIA noted even public safety groups disagree on z-axis. The technology isn’t ready, CTIA said. "Vertical location solutions are evolving today, and no solutions have yet been validated to meet the Commission’s proposed ± 3-meter z-axis metric,” it suggested: “Facilitate further discussion among stakeholders to assess whether the Commission’s existing vertical location policies and rules align with current views on achieving accurate and actionable information for 9-1-1.”
T-Mobile asked not to adopt rules based on hopes of better technology. “Requiring a compliance metric that does not account for the fact that many handsets in use today have neither the necessary functionality to accurately estimate altitude, nor the ability to interface with necessary reference networks, will only impede carriers’ ability to meet their regulatory obligations with no public benefit,” the carrier said. Nothing in the record makes clear when the technology will be ready, T-Mobile said.
The National Emergency Number Association clarified its stance. NENA has concerns about the national emergency address database system but doesn’t favor abandoning NEAD. NENA favors dispatchable location where practical: “In most cases, a field responder will need to know which floor and suite of a multi-story building to go to, since a point or shape in 3D space is not particularly actionable information.”
First-responder groups including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Chiefs of Police and National Sheriffs’ Association said the FCC shouldn’t abandon a standard. “Based on comments from industry, suggesting that location accuracy technologies will continue to improve with time, and the support for a 3-meter z-axis metric among public safety and leading wireless carriers, the FCC should adopt a vertical location metric of 3 meters and review the 3 meter metric in five years with the intent to narrow the metric to deliver floor-level information,” the groups said.
If there's a standard, “fire fighters and emergency responders in major cities could begin benefiting from this location information within two years,” said the International Association of Fire Fighters. “The tangible impact that this would have on life saving response times for individuals in distress would be enormous."