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Sep. 13, 2007

The FCC ruled yesterday to make wireless carriers perform their 911 location testing at the local level, instead of basing accuracy data on statewide averages.

Overall, wireless networks and handset vendors will have until 2012 to comply with the FCC's new regulations.

The Commissions's new rules require that wireless networks be able to identify a caller's location within 150 or 300 yards for 95 percent of the time, depending on the type of technology used.

Over the past year, carriers have used averages at the state or even regional level to measure compliance with E-911 regulations.

However, under the FCC's newer requirements, wireless carriers would instead have to meet the 95 percent target within every local 911-dispatch area by Sept. 11, 2012.

Wireless carriers have repeatedly said the new regulations will be too costly to implement by 2012.

They also argued that the new requirements may not even be technically feasible. However, during yesterday's hearing, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said statewide averaging "doesn't provide public safety with the information that it needs to do its job effectively."

CTIA still objected to the new requirements, releasing a statement saying that though it supports the FCC's efforts to bring E911 service to consumers, "today's action by the FCC will hamper that very important effort."

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Source: Wireless Week