Jurisdictions show ‘steady increase’ in text-to-911 service adoptions
But the TTY-based approach to text-to-911 service has its shortcomings. The inability for the TTY to transfer a text message is a limitation, Jacques said, and she also has concerns about how emergency medical dispatching (EMD) and text messages in a foreign language would be handled over the text-to-911 service through TTY.
Once Maine finishes implementing its NG-911 system in August, officials plan to begin moving toward an IP/i3 connection. The state also plans to continue working with other carriers to deploy the service and with the public to increase awareness, Jacques said.
The FCC is pushing for nationwide availability of text-to-911 service by the end of this year. The four primary wireless carriers – AT&T, Spring, T-Mobile and Verizon – started offering the service in May as part of a voluntary agreement. The FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability, and Interopability Council (CSRIC) recently approved best practices for requesting interim text-to-911 service.