WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission stepped up its consumer-education campaign regarding wireless enhanced 911 Thursday when FCC Chairman Michael Powell appeared on the “CBS Early Show” to announce the release of a consumer advisory on wireless E911 service.
“Consumers need to know that some wireless carriers have invested more than others in implementing E911. When you shop for wireless service, ask whether the carrier has implemented E911 in your area and whether the phone you’re buying works for E911. Not all carriers are created E911 equal, and consumers have a right to know this,” Powell said.
The consumer advisory was the second time in a week Powell highlighted and prodded E911 implementation issues. Powell spoke to public-safety officials earlier in the week at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials’ annual conference in Indianapolis.
“When you dial 911, you expect police to come to the rescue and be able to find you. Americans deserve effective emergency response using the best technology available. Government officials and the wireless industry need to redouble their efforts to make this a No. 1 priority,” said Powell.
Powell also engaged in the debate to urge states and localities to stop raiding E911 funds. “Wireless consumers in all but a handful of states pay E911 surcharges on their bills that go to state and local governments for E911. Consumers have every right to expect that money to be used for E911 upgrades,” said Powell.
The chairs of the E911 Congressional Caucus have introduced bills in the House and Senate to give state grants to deploy wireless E911 and withhold those funds from states that divert money collected from E911 charges on telecom bills for other purposes. The bill also would create a federal task force led by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Members of the task force would include the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Defense, Interior and Transportation; the FCC; state and local first responders; and telecommunications industry representatives.
On the “CBS Early Show,” Powell stressed how complicated E911 implementation is. “E911 is a simple thing to understand, but a difficult thing to implement,” he said. “You need a lot of constituencies to come together. It’s sophisticated technology. 1) It involves all the wireless carriers in the United States. 2) It requires state and local governments to come up with the funding to modify their systems so that the service works. And one of the things we’ve seen is a lot of local and state governments have had difficulty coming up with the resources to take care of their end of the program, so that’s one of the things that the country’s working on.”
The advisory suggests consumers be specific when researching mobile-phone service:
Consumers should ask carriers:
c Have you received a request from local public-safety officials to deploy E911 in my area?
c What is the status of your E911 deployment in my area?
c Does my phone work for E911?
c What other models work for E911?
Consumers should ask state legislators and public-safety officials:
c Is my local call center ready for 911?
c If not, what is the plan for making the necessary upgrades?
c Is the E911 surcharge on my bill being used for E911?
Earlier in the week, Powell invited all state officials responsible for deploying E911 to come to the FCC in late October for the second part of the E911 Initiative, which was launched in the spring.
“The FCC cannot make E911 happen-we need carriers, public safety, incumbent local exchange carriers, equipment vendors, and state and local governments to be full partners if the `era of cooperation’ is to yield a lasting `era of accomplishment,’ ” said Powell.
In addition, Powell sent a letter to all state E911 officials announcing an E911 technical subcommittee of the FCC’s Network Reliability and Interoperability Council has been created. The January meeting of the FCC’s Technical Advisory Committee will shape the issues to be discussed by the NRIC subcommittee.
But even with all of these efforts, Powell told the APCO audience it is consumers who can make the most difference.
Powell has often linked E911 to homeland security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and he did so again in Indianapolis. “Before and since Sept. 11, the FCC has developed policies to secure our nation’s telecommunications infrastructure and network reliability. Spectrum policy and homeland security are at the forefront of my strategic plan for the commission. Central to that plan is the implementation of E911 for wireless communications services.”
