WASHINGTON-The Communications for Coordinated Assistance and Response to Emergencies (ComCARE) Alliance is asking the Federal Communications Commission to maintain its deadline for location-capable handsets.
ComCARE requested that the FCC deny a waiver request by CTIA and the Rural Cellular Association for the rules requiring wireless carriers to have 95 percent of their customers be location capable by Dec. 31.
“It is very important that the FCC enforce the current deadlines for Phase II enhanced 911 deployment and not grant any blanket waivers to them. Wireless E-911 will save lives and should be delayed no longer,” said ComCARE Chairman Richard Taylor.
In their waiver request filed earlier this month, CTIA and RCA said their members that have chosen handset solutions to meet the wireless E-911 rules will not be able to meet the Dec. 31 deadline to have 95 percent of the handsets in use on their networks be location capable.
Rural carriers have long complained about the handset requirement, noting that many customers prefer their 3-watt analog phones compared with digital phones.
Nextel Communications Inc., which is merging with Sprint Corp., has said it is worried about the deadline, but last January, the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau said it expected all carriers would meet the deadline.
John Muleta, former wireless bureau chief, held an informal meeting in December with 911 stakeholders, including carriers and public safety, to get a status check. Based on that meeting, Muleta said at a later FCC meeting that the bureau “expects no surprises” as the Dec. 31 handset location-capability deadline approaches.
When the FCC allowed carriers to choose a handset solution to meet the wireless E-911 Phase II rules, it said that 95 percent of all handsets in use must have location capability by Dec. 31. Some carriers previously had indicated that it may not be possible to meet that deadline. Some rural carriers unsuccessfully tried to get the Senate to amend the recently passed E-911 bill to delay the deadline.
Handset-based solutions must be able to locate the caller within 50 meters 67 percent of the time and within 150 meters 95 percent of the time.
ComCARE also asked the FCC to ensure E-911 accuracy at the state level.
In other 911 news, the FCC and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners have established a joint enforcement task regarding the Nov. 28 deadline for Voice over Internet Protocol providers to offer E-911 to their subscribers.
Staff from both NARUC and the FCC will work with public-safety officials to develop educational materials and will compile and share best practices.
“One of the FCC’s core missions is to promote public safety. Our VoIP E-911 rules are critical to achieving that goal,” said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.
