FCC Pushes Back Wireless Accuracy Deadline

The FCC has pushed back a deadline for Phase II wireless E911 accuracy by six months to March 11, 2009, allowing carriers to appeal the accuracy requirement in court. Originally wireless carriers were required to meet accuracy testing standards by this September, as measured over the entire region in which they operate. But in June, 2007 the FCC proposed a change supported by public safety groups–accuracy compliance must be measured for each of the carrier’s much smaller local service regions. The carriers objected to the change, and believed that a 5-month delay in releasing the accuracy standards had jeopardized their ability to appeal the requirement to the courts. Now the FCC has delayed the deadline to allow a court review. Download (pdf) AT&T’s objections here, and then download (pdf) the FCC’s latest deadline change here.