APCO SENDS E911 REQUESTS TO CARRIERS, EYEING OCT. DEADLINE
Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) stepped up pressure on wireless carriers Wed. to meet upcoming Enhanced 911 deadline by sending letters requesting location technology service in next 6 months. Letters from public safety answering points (PSAPs), which APCO also submitted to FCC, come as several carriers have waiver petitions pending before Commission on Phase 2 of E911. “It’s going to be tough to get a waiver,” FCC Deputy Wireless Bureau Chief James Schlichting told reporters after APCO news conference in Washington. FCC last week opened public comment period on waiver request of AT&T Wireless, which wants to deploy hybrid handset- and network-based solution for pinpointing location of wireless 911 caller (CD April 9 p4). APCO officials also outlined details of national project to have at least one community public safety system in 48 states ready to receive more specific Phase 2 location data by Oct. deadline. APCO Pres. Lyle Gallagher told us association was embarking on project that would involve wireless carriers to resolve new interference issues in public safety bands.
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VoiceStream received conditional waiver from agency last fall (CD Sept 11 p1) to implement hybrid handset- and network-based solution for Phase 2. Phase 2 requires carriers to pinpoint location of emergency caller within more precise parameters than first phase, including locating 67% of position-enabled handsets within 50 m of caller’s location by Oct. 1. But Commission agreed to waiver by 3-2 vote, with then Chmn. William Kennard aligning with majority and Comrs. Ness and Tristani approving in part and dissenting in part, making prospects less clear on current 4- member FCC. Nextel also has waiver petition pending before agency and Cingular Wireless has indicated it may submit similar request, but no final decisions have been made. Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS haven’t requested waivers. “We are working under the assumption that while it’s aggressive, Sprint and Verizon are working to implement” timeline, Schlichting said in response to questions. He said that in past Commission had stressed that it wouldn’t grant generalized waiver requests, and that waiver requests should be focused and specific. He declined to speculate on whether pending waiver requests would be approved.
Rather than “pointing fingers” at wireless carriers for their readiness to meet Oct. deadline, APCO officials stressed cooperative nature of Project Locate. Under that effort, 48 states have chosen model PSAP that would be ready to receive early implementation requests under Phase 2 of E911. Still, Project Chmn. Bill Hinkle, dir. of Hamilton County, O., Dept. of Communications, said no carriers had made commitment to participate in project. Project will provide monthly updates to FCC on progress of implementation leading up to deadline, he said. While he didn’t provide number of PSAPs covered under project, he said that in Cal., where entire state was participating, more than 500 PSAPs were involved. Hawaii and Del. haven’t agreed to participate, he said. “Public safety intends to do everything in its power to eliminate the common carrier excuse that they don’t have to do anything because public safety isn’t ready,” Hinkle said. Network of communities “will create a blueprint” for deployment of Phase 2 elsewhere in country, he said. “It’s imperative that the FCC is prepared to take action when we are able to document any deliberate roadblocks or delaying tactics,” he said.
Letters from PSAPs to wireless carriers cite FCC rules that carriers must provide Phase 2 service within 6 months of request from 911 authority. Letters begin discussions between carriers and public safety officials on timelines for deployment and specifics of location technology being used, APCO officials said Wed. PSAPs in Cal, Ill. and Tex. already have submitted such letters and latest round represents additional 25 states, Hinkle said. Gallagher said at news conference that he was heartened that in several cases, equipment vendors were providing E911 solutions, including mapping capabilities, that covered both Phase 1 and Phase 2 at no additional cost. “I am optimistic, I think it’s going to happen,” he told us. One complicating factor has been economic downturn that has affected wireless industry along with rest of high-tech sector, he said. “What’s going on with the economy doesn’t help us,” he said. As for technology solutions that carriers must choose, “they are being very careful and cautious,” he said.
“The technology solution that we selected, while not ready by October, will be able to be deployed in the entire TDMA network by the end of the first quarter of 2002,” AT&T Wireless spokesman said. As part of network plans connected to NTT DoCoMo’s investment, AT&T is overlaying GSM/General Packet Radio Services Platform on its existing TDMA network. Hybrid solution that’s part of waiver request would deploy handset-based technology in its GSM network and network-based location system for TDMA infrastructure. Waiver request said that for PSAPs that have requested service under Phase 1, AT&T’s proposal automatically would cover them under Phase 2, spokesman said.
Separately, Gallagher said APCO planned to work with carriers on new effort, called Project 39, that addresses problems with cellphones’ interfering with police, ambulance and radio systems. Interference issues have cropped up as new digital technologies have been rolled out that comply with rules for protecting public safety operations, Gallagher said. “These carriers are operating in the rules,” he said.