The chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today outlined a five-step action plan to improve the deployment of Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) service, seeming to emphasize its photos, text message and video capabilities, and limiting the FCC’s help in funding to the development of cost models. Julius Genachowski presented the plan at the annual conference of the Association of Public Safety Officials (APCO) in Philadelphia, saying the FCC will work with all involved stakeholders, “to ensure that effective emergency response is a critical element of the broadband environment.” In a statement later released by the FCC, Genachowski emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to NG911 planning to prevent “patchwork deployment” of the service. When explaining why NG911 is needed, he listed increased access by those with disabilities, enhanced information for first responders and increased network reliability. Genachowski’s numbered plan put accuracy location as #1, and put cost modeling—but not direct funding—as #5. Download (pdf) the FCC’s announcement here, and download (pdf) his prepared remarks to the APCO audience here..
The following two screen shots are of headlines posted on the Mashable.com and TheHill.com Web sites about the FCC NG911 announcement. The headlines demonstrate how NG911 is viewed by the press, what features are most important, and how soon the technology will arrive.
Read the previous story on the initial NG911 announcement made by the FCC in Nov. 2010.
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Last week’s announce to develop and deploy the Next Generation 911 System is a duh! We in the trenches are already hard at work, while Congress argues over who is going to pay for it. Your input is needed to review a new real-time video streaming mobile technology that will help public safety professionals build safer communities. GuardianWatch.com
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