FCC Tells Congress How To Support NG911

First, with respect to creating a legal and regulatory framework for NG911, as required by Section 6509(1),6 we recommend that Congress create incentives for states to become “early adopters” of NG911. This will accelerate the NG911 transition in these states while also generating valuable experience with NG911 implementation that can make the transition easier for other states to follow. More generally, we recommend that Congress encourage state-level governance of NG911 deployment, but that it also consider creating a federal regulatory “backstop” to ensure that there is no gap between federal and state authority over NG911. In addition, we recommend that Congress promote a consistent nationwide approach to key elements of NG911 deployment, including standards that support seamless communication among PSAPs and between PSAPs and emergency responders; reforms to the NG911 funding structure; appropriate liability protection to encourage technological innovation and rapid deployment of NG911; and provisions to make NG911 fully accessible to people with disabilities.

Next, to ensure efficient and accurate transmission of 911 caller information to emergency response agencies, as provided by Section 6509(2),7 we recommend that Congress promote the development of location technologies that will support all NG911 applications regardless of the network or device used by the caller. We also recommend that Congress support establishment at the national level of certain databases that support NG911 routing and security. These national-level databases would provide economies of scale, reduce NG911 transition costs for states and localities, and promote consistent adoption of technical standards nationwide.

Finally, as called for by Section 6509(3),8 we identify areas where Congress could assist in the elimination of legacy state regulations that are impeding NG911 deployment, while providing incentives for states to modernize their laws and regulations to accommodate NG911. These reforms will enable both traditional and non-traditional service providers to support an expanded array of NG911 services and applications, and will facilitate the deployment of more flexible and resilient network architecture to support NG911 operations.

Wednesday, February 28, 2013 — On behalf of more than 6,000 9-1-1 call centers across America and our members who lead and staff them, NENA is pleased that the FCC’s Report to Congress on Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) adopts many of NENA’s recommendations. The commission’s report was required by the Next Generation 9-1-1 Improvement Act of 2012, which was enacted as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. Specifically:

We are pleased to see an incentive-based model proposed for nearly every one of the FCC’s proposals to Congress. We believe this will drive better results faster than a more prescriptive approach.

We are pleased to see strong recommendations with respect to the need to provide a national regulatory backstop; ensure that location determination obligations are clearly spelled out in law; and provide critical NG9-1-1 infrastructure components at the federal level.

A key challenge for Congress will be to level the playing field for 9-1-1 in federal grant funding programs, so that the necessary incentives can be meaningful. At present, 9-1-1 improvements are not included in the allowable costs for most federal public safety grant programs. Congress can fix this disparity without appropriating a single new dollar, and it should.

At NENA’s upcoming 9-1-1 Goes to Washington lobby days, March 17-20, our grassroots members will be visiting Members of Congress and stressing the importance of further federal action to speed the nationwide development of a more powerful, IP-based 9-1-1 system.