View Rule

In this proceeding, the Federal Communications Commission proposes rules to more precisely route wireless 911 calls and texts to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), which can result in faster response times during emergencies. Wireless 911 calls have historically been routed to PSAPs based on the location of the cell tower that handles the call. Sometimes, however, the 911 call is routed to the wrong PSAP because the cell tower is not in the same jurisdiction as the 911 caller. This can happen, for instance, when an emergency call is placed near a county border. These misrouted 911 calls must be transferred from one PSAP to another, which consumes time and resources and can cause confusion and delay in emergency response. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes to require wireless and covered text providers to deploy technology that supports location-based routing, a method that relies on precise information about the location of the wireless caller's device, on some networks and to use location-based routing to route 911 voice calls and texts originating on those networks when caller location is accurate and timely. In addition, the NPRM proposes to require CMRS and covered text providers to deliver 911 calls, texts, and associated routing information in Internet Protocol (IP) format upon request of certain 911 authorities.