FCC approves rules for service providers delivering NG911 emergency communications

FCC commissioners last week voted unanimously to approve an order designed to ease the transition to IP-based next-generation 911 (NG911) technology by providing originating service providers with nationwide rules about their responsibilities and deadlines to deliver emergency calls to NG911 systems.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel described the order as the latest step in the FCC’s “ongoing effort to update 911” through various actions, including the establishment of rules regarding outage reporting and location-based routing.

“Going forward, carriers must translate and route 911 calls in an IP-based format when a state or local 911 system can accept next-generation 911 calls,” Rosenworcel said during the FCC’s July 18 open meeting, which was webcast. “Our rules will create a consistent federal framework to assist with the transition to next-generation 911 nationwide.”

Rosenworcel said creating such rules is important.

“We take these steps, because what comes next with next-generation 911 is big,” Rosenworcel said. “It will provide improved support for voice, text, data, and video communications. It will mean more redundancy to protect against outages.

“And for those who call, it will mean the opportunity to provide video of the emergency. It will mean the ability to provide first responders with instantaneous pictures. It will make it possible to transmit a patient’s medical [records] directly to 911 dispatchers. And for those who take calls in an emergency, all of this data can inform public safety efforts, improving emergency response and saving lives.”

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks agreed and noted that the existence of new federal rules being passed by the FCC does not preclude local and state jurisdictions from reaching agreements with service providers about how the transition to NG911 should be executed.

“Today, we really provide a spark to action,” Starks said during the FCC open meeting. “This order creates default rules and timelines around some of the sticking points we’ve heard from states that are holding up NG911 transitions, including cost allocation and traffic delivery.

“These are just defaults—if different solutions work better for a particular community, the parties can agree to other terms. So, most importantly, states will be able to continue moving forward with momentum.”

NENA CEO Brian Fontes expressed support for the FCC order.

“This order not only provides a balanced and sensible framework for 9-1-1 authorities and OSPs to move forward together to deploy NG9-1-1 nationwide, but also improves 9-1-1 service for everyone, especially those who depend on inclusive services, like deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals,” Fontes said in a prepared statement.

APCO CEO and Executive Director Mel Maier echoed this sentiment.

“APCO welcomes these new rules from the FCC,” Maier said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful that the commission was responsive to the 911 community’s needs, both to trigger the delivery of IP-based 911 traffic and to ensure there is no cost-shifting from service providers onto ECCs [Emergency Communications Center].

“These rules are a significant step toward our broader goal of full NG911 deployment. We look forward to continuing to work with the FCC to support this framework and to continuing our advocacy for Congress to provide the funding needed to ensure NG911 happens quickly and in every community in our country.”

In addition to supporting for the new FCC rules, Rosenworcel reiterated her belief that the FCC should be allowed to auction spectrum—an authority that has not been reinstated by Congress after expiring more than a year ago—to generate revenues that should be allocated to fund the nationwide transition to NG911.

“We need Congress to help support this next phase of our nationwide 911 system,” Rosenworcel said during the FCC meeting. “The swiftest way to do it is to support the return of commission authority, so we can auction public airwaves and then direct the revenue raised to support public safety through next-generation 911 initiatives across the country. I have long advocated for this approach and still believe it is the way forward.”