Posted by Barlow Keener

The FCC announced yesterday that it will host a summit on February 25, 2009, for coordinating Next Generation 911 deployment for IP-enabled voice service providers.  The summit is required by the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 (NET911 Act) which was unanimously passed by Congress last July.  The NET911 Act required the FCC to issue an order within 90 days of the effective date of the law implementing certain 911 requirements for IP-enabled voice service providers and enabling VoIP providers equal access to 911 services.  On October 21, 2008, the FCC timely issued the NET911 order implementing the Act. 

One controversial aspect of the FCC’s Net911 order is that it did not specifically require providers of mobile VoIP to deliver “last known cell” information of the VoIP mobile user.  VoIP mobile users include, for example, those customers with dual mode mobile phones that are able to use the cell phone provider’s spectrum and RAN (Radio Access Network) or a local WiFi access point using VoIP.  The location of the access point is not available but the last know cell tower location could be made available for VoIP 911 purposes.  Chairman Martin strongly believed that last known cell information should have been a requirement while both Commissioners Adelstein and Copps supported the position that more research and industry inquiry was needed to determine if the last known cell information was the best way to deliver mobile VoIP 911 locations. 

The NetAct also required that within 270 days (April 2009) the E-911 Implementation Coordination Office (E9-1-1 ICO) consult with the industry and develop a plan for migrating to a national IP-enabled emergency network and for improving information sharing among emergency response entities.  The E9-1-1 ICO plan must provide, among other items, the following:

1. Identify barriers that must be overcome and funding mechanisms to address those barriers;
2. Identify location technology for nomadic devices and for office buildings and multi-dwelling units;
3. Analyze the experiences of the public safety answering points and related public safety authorities who are conducting trial deployments of IP-enabled emergency networks;
4. Analyze efforts to provide automatic location for E9-1-1 services and provide recommendations on regulatory or legislative changes that are necessary to achieve automatic location for E9-1-1 services.

The FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau’s February Summit will be held well in advance of the April 2009 date the E9-1-1 ICO is required by the Act to report to Congress.  It appears that the Summit will be an opportunity for the E9-1-1 ICO to coordinate with the FCC PSHS to implement the Act’s requirement to “consult with representatives of the public safety community, groups representing those with disabilities, technology and telecommunications providers, IP-enabled voice service providers, Telecommunications Relay Service providers, and other emergency communications providers.”  The Summit should also be the appropriate public forum to discuss  solution(s) for mobile VoIP 911.