Report: Wireless E911 not good enough

A new report finds location-based wireless emergency service is not always reliable, one of several major problems with the nation’s 911 regime that lawmakers and public safety officials said needs to be overhauled to accommodate new communications technologies and increased numbers of emergency calls.
“There is a clear expectation that the PSAP (public safety answering point), as well as traditional first responders, will have consistent and accurate locating data delivered with all wireless 911 calls to the PSAP. The wireless location accuracy performance of the carriers in the designated ‘PSAP Test Area’ did not meet these expectations,” stated the Project Locate report, whose findings were released by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing.
“When it comes to public safety and services like E911, we must always strive to do better. If questions arise about new communications services, we should tackle them,” stated Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) at Tuesday’s hearing. “If questions arise about the location accuracy of E911 in existing services, we must tackle them, too. When lives are on the line, first responders need location information that is as accurate as possible.”
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) vowed to work with former telecom policymaker Dale Hatfield to complete a report on wireless E911 location accuracy and other related challenges facing the wireless industry. Federal Communications Commission Kevin Martin last year ordered Hatfield, a consultant who teaches at the University of Colorado and chairs a Bush administration spectrum reform panel, to cease work on the report. Hatfield’s report was a follow-up effort to an independent study he delivered to the agency in 2002.
Martin has yet to respond to questions from Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), vice-chairman of the House Commerce Committee, on circumstances related to Hatfield’s dismissal.
Nelson is also pushing a bill to amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 to require Voice over Internet Protocol providers to add 911 calling to their service, including the enhanced capability to locate emergency callers.