FCC’s Wheeler calls on Congress to address next-gen 911, says FCC has ‘done about everything we can do’

In August, Wheeler called for Congress to help fund NG911 and regional cybersecurity initiatives to address a chief concern associated with the NG911 transition. Wheeler noted that he has been “outspoken” in his views about 911 and the need for Congress to help make NG911 deployments happen, so emergency callers can share emergency-related photos and videos—not just voice and, in limited location, text messages—with first-responder agencies.

“We've taken this ball about as far as we can take it here at the commission,” he said. “If somebody can come up with a way or an idea as to other things that we ought to be doing, I’m all ears.

“But I think this basically boils down to funding, planning and the structural kinds of issues we were talking about in the report. That's why the [TFOPA] report is really important.”

During the meeting, TFOPA members voted unanimously to approve the report, which combines working-group efforts addressing operational, cybersecurity and resource/funding issues facing PSAPs that seek to transition to NG911. Although the report was approved, a copy of the final document was not released on Friday, as some last-minute changes and final editing still need to be integrated.

TFOPA members will continue meeting for another year to further their work to date and to help communicate the need for NG911 solutions throughout the country. David Simpson, chief of the FCC’s public-safety and homeland-security bureau, noted that he believes that the development of a method to measure the nation’s progress toward NG911—as well as a goal to complete the task—would be helpful to policymakers.