FCC chairman on text to 911: PSAPs need to ‘get with it’

The technology also could be useful in many dangerous scenarios—for instance, a domestic attacker or a hostage situation—in which a victim may not be able speak safely to 911 but could text 911 without being noticed by a perpetrator.

In addition to approving the text-to-911 policy statement, FCC commissioners approved initiating a proceeding for a proposed rule that would require all text providers support text to 911 by the end of the year. If industry voluntarily reaches a satisfactory agreement with public safety, the rulemaking would only codify the agreement, according to an FCC press release. If no such voluntary agreement is reached, the rulemaking would determine how text to 911 would be implemented.

One of the big questions facing the commission is whether companies that provide “over-the-top” texting applications also should be required to support text-to-911 functionality. FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly expressed concerns that the cost to support text-to-911 service could negatively impact over-the-top text providers and questioned whether the FCC has the legal authority to regulate over-the-top services.

Wheeler acknowledged that the FCC faces a “regulatory seesaw” on the possibility of requiring over-the-top providers to support text-to-911 functionality. But FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn noted that the six most popular over-the-top text applications supported an average of 19 billion messages per day and that such applications are challenging the popularity of SMS texting provided by wireless carriers.

Given the popularity of over-the-top texting services, Wheeler indicated that he would be in favor of those companies also supporting text to 911.

“Texting is texting,” Wheeler said during the meeting.