https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • WHY ATTEND
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Registration Opens April 2019-Join Our Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

APCO


News

Nationwide wireless carriers commit to text-to-911 support in 2014

Nationwide wireless carriers commit to text-to-911 support in 2014

Nationwide carriers agree to support 911 texts by mid-2014, and to implement a "bounce-back" feature by mid-2013 that will alert callers when 911 texting is not an option.
  • Written by
  • 7th December 2012

All four nationwide wireless carriers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA — yesterday committed to supporting text to 911 in their networks by May 15, 2014, with “major deployments” expected in 2013.

Each of the four carriers signed the agreement with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) in a deal that was announced last night.

“Access to 911 must catch up with how consumers communicate in the 21st century — and today, we are one step closer towards that vital goal,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement. “I am pleased that the nation’s four largest wireless carriers and leading public safety organizations have responded with today’s commitment, which will save lives starting in 2013.”

But the carrier commitment does not mean that text to 911 will become a reality nationwide by 2014. Although several text-to-911 trials are ongoing, most public-safety answering points (PSAPs) are not equipped to handle texts to their 911 systems today, and PSAPs are expected to enable this functionality at different times in the future.

RELATED: A common-sense approach to 911 texting

With this in mind, the carriers committed to providing an automatic-notification method — also known as “bounce back” — to a customer if a 911 texting is not an option from the customer’s location at a given time. Under the agreement, the carriers agreed to enable this functionality by June 30, 2013.

Screenshot of a text-to-911 conversationThe announcement of the carriers’ commitment to supporting text-to-911 comes in advance of Wednesday’s FCC meeting, which features an agenda item that is focused on accelerating the deployments needed to make text to 911 a reality as soon as possible.

“This is good progress, but our work is not done,” Genachowski said. “Next week, the FCC will consider further actions to advance text-to-911 for all consumers. We will also take additional steps in this area next year, including closely monitoring carriers’ compliance with the commitments they have made today and addressing other aspects of next-generation 911, such as enabling transmission of photos and videos to 911 centers. “We are also working to strengthen the resiliency and reliability of the existing 911 system, where significant deficiencies were revealed by this summer’s derecho.”

NENA CEO Brian Fontes said that representatives of the carriers approached him five weeks ago with the idea of pursuing this agreement upon learning of the FCC’s interest in passing text-to-911 regulations, which NENA supported, if the carriers were willing to commit to deadlines and to providing 911 texts in the manner that PSAPs requested.

All of these components were included in the deal, Fontes said. In addition, by reaching an industry agreement, all parties hope to avoid the delays and costs that were associated with litigation sparked by the FCC’s E-911 regulations, he said.

“I feel good about [the agreement],” Fontes said during an interview with Urgent Communications. “One, it avoids the cost and length of litigation, and — more importantly — the regulatory uncertainty associated with litigation. Two, it provides a date certain when carriers must provision their networks for texting to 911. Three, it contains the bounce-back provisions, and it allows the PSAPs to maintain their choice of options [associated with] texting to 911.”

APCO President Terry Hall echoed this opinion.

“With this agreement, text-to-911 capability will be rolled out in an expeditious manner, consistent with public safety answering point (PSAP) readiness and in accordance with industry standards,” Hall said in a statement. “We also support the industry’s commitment to provide a bounce-back message where text-to-9-1-1 is unavailable.”

Fontes said he anticipates that the FCC will recognize the agreement, which will allow the commission to focus its rulemaking efforts on other carriers and software-application developers entering the text-to-911 space. If any of the carriers do not meet their commitments that are in the agreement, the FCC would have the option to impose regulatory requirements on them, Fontes said.

Tags: PSAP Regulation APCO FCC NENA News NG-911 Policy Public Safety News

Related


  • Nationwide carriers agree to support 911 texts by mid-2014, and to implement a "bounce-back" feature by mid-2013 that will alert callers when 911 texting is not an option.
  • Nationwide carriers agree to support 911 texts by mid-2014, and to implement a "bounce-back" feature by mid-2013 that will alert callers when 911 texting is not an option.
  • Nationwide carriers agree to support 911 texts by mid-2014, and to implement a "bounce-back" feature by mid-2013 that will alert callers when 911 texting is not an option.
  • Nationwide carriers agree to support 911 texts by mid-2014, and to implement a "bounce-back" feature by mid-2013 that will alert callers when 911 texting is not an option.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • SolarWinds attackers lurked for 'several months' in FireEye's network
  • Buffalo's 48 hours to navigate a mission-critical transition to remote work
  • Digital transformation, connectivity create platform for sustainable mobility
  • Florida SLERS renewal could wait until May as SLERS-2 procurement begins

Commentary


Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

21st February 2021

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

18th February 2021

Hi-tech sewer can help safeguard public health, environment and economies

18th February 2021
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Senate American Rescue plan calls for more than $60 million in direct aid for counties dlvr.it/Rv1wGF

5th March 2021
UrgentComm

NTIA seeks potential new FirstNet Authority board members dlvr.it/Rv0YfL

5th March 2021
UrgentComm

Smart-building projects target energy efficiency as launchpad to health and safety dlvr.it/RtyhRY

4th March 2021
UrgentComm

ESN official hints at potentially costly new timeline for UK public-safety broadband project dlvr.it/Rttvzj

3rd March 2021
UrgentComm

Ericsson, Huawei, AT&T attending Mobile World Congress in June, others not so sure dlvr.it/RtrtT2

3rd March 2021
UrgentComm

Newscan: Klobuchar calls on Congress to get serious on tech reform dlvr.it/RtqByn

2nd March 2021
UrgentComm

The era of converged network infrastructure has officially begun dlvr.it/Rtmq62

2nd March 2021
UrgentComm

Biden to follow through on Trump-era China tech ban dlvr.it/Rtmlgt

2nd March 2021

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X