SEEKING ACCURACY, E911 STAKEHOLDERS CITE NEED FOR BETTER DATA

In a move hailed by FCC Chmn. Powell, NGA released a report outlining state strategies for accelerating E911 implementation. They include designating a statewide coordinator with oversight over E911 and creating baselines to assess where resources are needed. The NGA report noted that federal and state agencies track E911 implementation among public safety answering points (PSAPs), along with national groups. But it said: “There is no generally agreed upon method for assessing progress.” The report said the Dept. of Transportation database on E911 implementation doesn’t make a distinction between PSAPs that will require equipment upgrades and those that won’t.

“Few states have done assessments, and for those that have, each has its own set of criteria,” NGA said. “It would be difficult to aggregate this state-by-state data and have a true reflection of the current status of implementation. Without this critical assessment, it is for decision-makers to determine where resources should be allocated.” The report also cited a lack of adequate and “effective use of funding” for E911, calling it a perennial issue. In other areas, it said PSAP readiness is hindered by a lack of training and education on how to successfully create and operate E911. “PSAP personnel need education concerning the wireless implementation process, including knowledge of the relevant FCC rules, implementation procedures and technical resources,” NGA said. The group released the report on 2nd day of a 2-day meeting of the FCC’s E911 Coordination Initiative.

Powell said at an Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference last year that the coordination initiative would focus on working with governors’ offices to build support for ensuring state funds set aside for E911 rollout were used for that purpose. He said Wed.: “This report is an important step forward in accelerating the rollout of emergency services that will enable public safety personnel to more accurately locate 911 callers.”

In other areas, participants in the meeting Wed. focused on the challenges beyond wireless E911 deployment, particularly VoIP. Comr. Adelstein, who moderated a panel on coordination issues, said he has heard a lot of “angst” about VoIP in this area. “I do see some things coming that concern me,” said Art Prest, vp-chief technology officer for RFB Cellular/Alpine PCS. He noted that WiMAX wireless systems will have a much broader reach than current Wi-Fi systems -- up to 30 miles. “Now you're not just talking portability [of E911] but you're talking mobility,” he said. “I think maybe the FCC has to step forward on that” and examine the need for E911 capability being built into a product up front, Prest said. A benefit of the developments for wireless E911 capability is that a process has been established for working through such issues with the FCC, said Steve Marzolf of the Va. Dept. of Technology Planning. “We need to decide whether we're going to be able to adapt yet another new technology and shoehorn it into our 1970s, analog 911 network technology. I think we're finding in Virginia the answer is we're probably not.”

Rural E911 Concerns Stressed

Rural carriers stressed at the meeting that they continue to face deployment challenges, including a lack of location-capable handsets for GSM networks that will allow them to meet FCC deployment deadlines. Officials also stressed a need for more accurate information on caller location data. Some public safety officials voiced concern that wireless carriers sometimes are reluctant to release this data based on fears of FCC enforcement. More generally, Alpine PCS’s Prest said: “We need to get our arms around the accuracy issue in rural areas and begin to solve it.” Awareness of the issue has risen since it was outlined in an E911 progress report released by former FCC Office of Engineering & Technology Chief Dale Hatfield, Prest said. “Unfortunately, we haven’t made a lot of progress to actually solving the problems, particularly technical problems,” he said. Prest noted that carriers relying on a handset-based E911 solution face a Dec. 31, 2005, deadline for deploying these handsets to 95% of subscribers. “Many [carriers] are afraid of that rule and are therefore hesitant to move forward with a handset-based solution,” he said.

Delbert Wilson, regulatory affairs manager for West Central Wireless, stressed that E911 deployment challenges often are greater in rural areas. In many cases, there simply aren’t enough cell sites to provide adequate triangulation of a caller’s location, he said, also speaking for the Rural Telecom Group. “In addition, we have recently discovered that CDMA handsets previously thought to be capable of providing Phase 2 level service currently lack the technical capability to meet these requirements,” he said. “The best solution for achieving Phase 2 deployment in rural areas is for the FCC to require that all handsets be ALI capable.” The Commission can use its authority to require GPS capability for all handsets and all carriers and in all areas, he said. “That is the only way rural carriers and rural emergency officials can be assured that we may achieve the accuracy levels required of rural wireless carriers,” Wilson said.

Other participants raised concerns about carriers’ ability to average caller location accuracy requirements between urban and rural areas with network solutions. This means the urgency of these rural deployment issues are as important for larger carriers with rural markets as they are for rural carriers, said Va.’s Marzolf. “We will be talking with the FCC about what is the area of testing -- is it averaged over a large area, because I personally don’t think we can,” he said.