Public safety organizations expressed disappointment to FCC on E9...

Verizon said it planned network-based E911 Phase 2 solutions on “interim” basis in Chicago, Houston and St. Louis, public safety groups said in comments filed this week at Commission. Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), National Assn. of State Nine One One Administrators and National Emergency Number Assn. made joint filing. Verizon requested limited waiver of FCC deadlines for selling location- capable handsets, based on delays in handset deliveries from manufacturers and for Phase 2 activation because of delays in delivery of network gear from Lucent, Motorola, Nortel. Verizon told FCC it wanted to begin selling A-GPS/AFLT handset models in Dec., instead of by Oct. 1 deadline. Complete deployment of network upgrades will vary from April 1 for Lucent markets to March 1, 2003, for Motorola markets, it said. APCO and other groups said Verizon proposed network-based technology in Chicago, Houston and St. Louis on interim basis until all subscribers had GPS capability. Carrier also has said it will keep testing switch-based location technology for other markets that use Lucent and Nortel switches. “Verizon does not otherwise propose an interim solution for the substantial portion of its nationwide network served by Motorola switches, which will also be the very last to have fully deployed A-GPS capability,” public safety groups said. “The public safety organizations are disappointed that Verizon is abandoning network-based solutions in all but 3 major markets,” filing said. Although groups said they didn’t favor any technology, filing said: “We would prefer that carriers have multiple options available for meeting the Phase 2 requirements, including both network and handset-based technologies.” Groups acknowledged that appeared to be unlikely because every major carrier had made handset-based plans. That would provide limited options if handset technologies failed to meet their goals, filing said. “What is not clear from the Verizon request, however, is why it could not implement a more substantial mix of technologies across the nation. The Commission should seek additional information on this point,” APCO said. Groups asked FCC to exercise high level of scrutiny on carriers’ claims that equipment delivery was being delayed by manufacturers. Commission should use its “full investigative authority” and verify that delivery dates couldn’t be accelerated, groups said. “If necessary, the Commission should insist that the relevant equipment vendors further document their manufacturing schedules and causes for delay.”