WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission’s decision to grant Nokia Corp.-the world’s largest mobile phone vendor-a four-month extension to comply with new 911 call-processing rules prompted protests last week by the Wireless Consumers Alliance, which vowed to challenge the ruling and to fund independent testing of phones.
New FCC rules, designed to improve 911 call completion and which take effect Feb. 13, require new analog mobile phones and multimode phones that operate in the analog mode to be capable of completing 911 calls to either analog carrier in an area, regardless of the programming of the handset for non-911 calls.
The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau a week ago approved a new 911 call completion scheme proposed by Nokia that is based on the Automatic A/B Roaming-Intelligent Re-entry method previously approved by the agency. The bureau qualified its approval on Nokia meeting two conditions applicable to all other mobile-phone suppliers. New phones must lock into the landline network (which carries the call to the public safety answering point) within 17 seconds and customers must be notified that their 911 calls are being processed.
In addition, despite WCA opposition, the FCC waived the Feb. 13 compliance deadline for Nokia “in view of the fact that four months appears a reasonable period to complete software changes, test and begin manufacture of handsets incorporating the revised method and that Nokia’s alternative method is likely to promote the commission’s objectives of improving call completion.”
Sweden-based L.M. Ericsson, another major phone manufacturer, also has requested FCC approval of an alternative 911 call-completion method.
Because of the potential that phones mistakenly may `think’ that a 911 call has been completed when it hasn’t, WCA argued Nokia’s 911 plan could create delays of between 120 to 150 seconds in completing 911 wireless calls.
Nokia replied the initial scan to identify all digital channels on multimode phones would take no more than 1.38 seconds. The FCC sided with Nokia.
The Nokia proposal had support from wireless carriers and the National Emergency Number Association.
“We assume the commission did not intend to lower the bar for those [911 call-completion] requirements,” said Carl Hilliard, president of WCA. “With respect to dual-mode phones, we disagree with the some of the representations made by the manufacturers but we are satisfied with the commission’s requirement that they [manufacturers] meet certain standards of performance.”
Hilliard said he has contracted with a lab to test whether new mobile phones meet the FCC’s new 911 call-completion regulations. Hilliard declined to identify the company, saying only that it is an entity used by wireless carriers.
“If the handsets do not meet commission requirements, then we intend to proceed vigorously and ask the commission to revoke type acceptance and levy substantial fines,” said Hilliard.
Call-completion issues aside, the industry’s rollout of enhanced 911 services has been severely delayed because of technological, legal and funding problems. The situation has been a source of frustration and embarrassment for FCC Chairman William Kennard, who has said wireless safety is a high priority of his.
