FCC Revises 911 Accessibility Rules

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a Second Report and Order on the subject of how 911 calls are handled when made through telecommunication relay services (TRS) by those with hearing, sight or other impairments. The commission’s original rules were approved last June, and set a Dec. 31, 2008 deadline to implement 10-digit identification for TRS users so their calls could be handled properly by PSAPs. In this second Order, the FCC decides issues such as prioritization of incoming emergency calls to the TRS provider, the TRS operator providing information not given by the caller, and modifying the TRS user registration deadlines. Download (pdf) the full 47-page Order here.