Public safety groups and carriers continue to clash on what actions, if any, the FCC should take to ensure use of location-based routing (LBR) to 911 call centers. The disagreement surfaced in replies to a June public notice, approved by commissioners 4-0 (see 2206080040). T-Mobile warned that no consensus is emerging as a result of the record refresh.
Public safety groups urged the FCC to push for more use of location-based routing (LBR) to 911 call centers, in response to a June public notice, approved by commissioners 4-0 (see 2206080040). T-Mobile said how industry addresses the issue should be voluntary without the imposition of new FCC rules. AT&T and T-Mobile said implementation has to be done carefully and takes time.
The biggest apparent policy cut in the FCC’s wireless resiliency rules released Wednesday (see 2207060070) overrules objections by the Competitive Carriers Association and NTCA that the rules shouldn’t apply to small providers. The order creates the mandatory disaster response initiative (MDRI), replacing the industry’s wireless voluntary network resiliency cooperative framework.
The FCC unanimously approved a public notice seeking to refresh the record on improving how wireless 911 calls are routed to the appropriate first responders (see 2206060052), as expected. Commissioners at Wednesday's meeting also agreed to propose a $34,000 fine against an Idaho man for allegedly interfering with emergency communications as firefighters took on a wildfire, the largest fine of its kind, officials said.
An FCC record refresh on improving how wireless 911 calls are routed to the appropriate first responders is expected to be approved 4-0 by commissioners at their monthly meeting Wednesday. The final version is likely to incorporate some language sought by APCO (see 2206010027), said FCC and industry officials. The National Emergency Number Association doesn’t support those changes. APCO was the lone party to file comments in docket 18-62 after the FCC posted the draft.
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon filed certifications at the FCC saying they're in compliance with a requirement they provide vertical-location information on wireless calls to 911, as required by a June 2021 consent decree (see 2106030086). The filings were due at the FCC Thursday and posted in docket 17-78 (see here, here and here). The National Emergency Number Association, meanwhile, applauded a CTIA report saying nationwide wireless carriers, working with Apple and Google, can provide accurate vertical location information on wireless calls to 911 (see 2206020068). “NENA is pleased that the 9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed … filing reported that device-based hybrid (DBH) z-axis location solutions were successful in improving location accuracy consistent with” FCC requirements, emailed President Brian Fontes: “NENA continues to support aligning commercial research and development for location services with the needs of improved location accuracy used for public safety purposes.”
CTIA told the FCC Thursday nationwide wireless carriers, working with Apple and Google, can provide accurate vertical location information on wireless calls to 911, based on tests by the industry’s 911 Location Technologies Test Bed. CTIA said AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon also verified the results independently. “We are proud to report the testing validates that device-based hybrid (DBH) z-axis location technology solutions, Google’s Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) and Apple’s Hybridized Emergency Location (HELO), together achieve ± 3-meter accuracy for at least 80 percent of wireless 9-1-1 calls,” said a filing in docket 07-114. The companies faced a 2021 deadline to be able to deliver vertical location data in the top 25 cellular market areas. CTIA said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed testing. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, including building access, delayed permissions to enter, a compressed testing schedule, and more, the 9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed completed testing across more than 1,000 test points,” CTIA Chief Technology Officer Tom Sawanobori blogged: “The tests were more extensive than any previous test campaign, including a greater variety of test regions -- from dense, urban environments to rural communities -- a broader diversity of test buildings (taking into account various heights, construction materials, and building uses), 15 test devices, and more test points per building.”
APCO proposed some edits to the proposed record refresh on improving how wireless 911 calls are routed to the appropriate first responders, teed up for a vote at the June 8 FCC commissioners' meeting (see 2205180065). “The edits we offer are intended to improve the record to be developed by clarifying that ‘Next Generation 9-1-1,’ as defined by the public safety community, has not yet been fully deployed, and that ‘transitional NG9-1-1’ environments entail the deployment of emergency services IP networks (ESInets) that are intended to implement some call-delivery elements of an end-state NG9-1-1 environment,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-64. AT&T’s recent announcement it will provide location-based routing nationwide “illustrates, as APCO has previously commented, that wireless carriers can implement location-based routing regardless of whether an ESInet is in place,” APCO said.
AT&T said Tuesday it's the first carrier to launch location-based routing to automatically transmit wireless 911 calls to the appropriate public safety answering point, using technology from Intrado. “AT&T can quickly and more accurately identify where a wireless 9-1-1 call is coming from using device GPS and hybrid information to route the call to the correct 9-1-1 call center,” the company said: “With location-based routing, a device can be located and routed within 50 meters of the device location. Prior to this launch, wireless 9-1-1 calls were routed based on the location of cell towers, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius.” The carrier rolled out the service to 16 states and Guam, with full nationwide coverage expected to be completed by the end of next month, it said.
Industry counseled against FCC regulation on vulnerabilities to the security and integrity of border gateway protocols (BGP), in early comments on a February notice of inquiry from the FCC (see 2202250062). Cisco and other commenters said the issues are difficult and complex and require an international approach. The notice is part of the FCC’s cybersecurity focus as it looks at vulnerabilities posed by Russian companies (see 2203180051).