Federal regulators have fined operators $40M for outages in last four months
WASHINGTON – Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is not happy with the progress toward deploying America’s next-generation 911 system.
In a speech to the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials conference last week, the FCC chairman called the implementation “too slow and too ragged.” Wheeler called on Congress to help accelerate the process by passing legislation that would provide the FCC with additional funding and legal authority, and to help facilitate a smoother transition to a nationwide next-generation 911 network.
The FCC has prioritized the transition of the 911 network into a 21st century model, which includes text 911 services and systems that can more accurately locate a 911 caller by using their wireless phones’ GPS.
“Done right, the move to next-generation 911 should dramatically improve emergency response,” Wheeler said. “Some state and local 911 decision-makers have made important strides to migrate their PSAPs to NG911.”
The transition, however, has been far from smooth; as Wheeler noted, “There are understandable reasons that the move to NG911 has lagged. I understand, for example, how state and local authorities must maintain legacy communications capabilities during a transitional period. Maintaining two infrastructures increases cost and complexity at a time when our public safety resources are already stretched razor-thin. But this isn’t a unique experience; throughout our communications infrastructure, this is being done – and done successfully. Let me be clear: just because the slow implementation of next-generation 911 is understandable doesn’t make it excusable.”
Wheeler has been very stringent in enforcing rules that penalize 911 providers for failure to deliver. For example, “In the last 4 months, we have issued almost $40 million in penalties for outages that left millions of consumers unable to reach 911 for hours at a time. I cannot imagine a more harrowing experience than desperately needing to call 911 because a loved one needs medical attention, only to pick up the phone and hear … nothing. We won’t stand for it.”
Wheeler’s call for greater Congressional support has been well received in Washington among trade associations with members who are, in part, tasked with helping to make it a reality.
Competitive Carriers Association President Steven K. Berry said in a statement, “I agree with Chairman Wheeler that we live in exciting technological times, and CCA has appreciated the opportunities it has had to work with APCO and the Commission to implement compromise proposals for services like text-to-911 and indoor location standards for wireless calls to 911. Unfortunately, while [the] industry has risen to the challenge time and time again to implement advanced 911 services, the fragmentation and funding of the country’s public safety answering points have limited consumers’ access to these services. Ensuring 911 fees go to support 911 services is a step in the right direction.”
