FCC Approves Better Cellular Accuracy Requirement

At its public meeting on Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved more stringent accuracy requirements for wireless E911 calls, and asked for public input on how to better locate callers who use VoIP or future wireless technologies to make emergency calls. In a press release, the FCC said that “up to 40 percent” of wireless 911 calls fail to provide an accurate location to the calltaker. The FCC originally mandated certain accuracy requirements for 911 calls, as measured over the wireless carrier’s entire service area. Initially that measurement provided basic and useful information to the Commission on the success of the wireless location systems. However, as the number of cellular phones and wireless 911 calls increased, the issue of location accuracy has become more critical. The FCC began asking for input on the subject in 2007. Public safety agencies advocated to the FCC a smaller accuracy reporting area, including a proposal by National Emergency Number Association (NENA) to report by PSAP service territory.

In 2007 the FCC issued a proposal to shrink the reporting area, either to the PSAP or county level. Today’s FCC vote approves county-level reporting, which the Commission says mirrors the current trend to consolidate public safety comm centers at the county level. In many cases, PSAP and county-level reporting will be the same, the FCC noted. But, in other areas, PSAP-level reporting will be more useful, so both methods are approved. In this latest Order, the FCC also “tentatively” requires wireless carriers to automatically provide accuracy data to PSAPs on a per-call basis within two years, if the PSAP (dispatcher) requests it.

There are many factors which affect the transmission of an accurate location from a E911 caller, including consumers who still have older handsets with no built-in location technology. The FCC’s new accuracy requirements assume that all components of the nation’s cellular systems work perfectly when a person dials 911, and that the radio waves transmit the caller’s signal without interference or signal loss. As such, the FCC’s requirements are entirely technical, and may have little effect on the everyday handling of wireless 911 calls.

Download (pdf) a press release, the formal actions and the FCC commissioners’ statements about their vote here.

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) applauded the FCC’s actions, saying location information will be reported to PSAPs “more accurately in many areas throughout the country.” NENA president Steve O’Conor said in a statement, “It is great to see the Commission taking such strong and decisive steps to improve Wireless E9-1-1.”