Fcc E911 Essays - Geolocation, Federal Communications Commission

Fcc E911 The FCC E911 Regulation is Essential for Consumers and Telecommunications Industry In June of 1996, the FCC proposed a mandate for E-911 services. The wireless E911 order provides value-added service for all cellular phone users and consumers. This regulation has designed to implement 911 requirements for cellular, PCS and SMR carriers. The FCC has established telecommunication regulations to provide 911 access to consumers. The requirements have been planned in a three-stage deployment process. However, it was later revamped into a two-phase process. This regulation (CC Docket No. 94-102) has many different parts, which are currently under reconsideration by the FCC. Basically, the regulation requires that MLTS (Multi-Line Telephone System) providers to provide emergency service by single line residential, business telephone service and wireless services whether telephone services are in service or not. As my employer is a wireless telephone provider, I will be focusing on the wireless regulations associated with CC Docket No. 94-102. The FCC requires all cellular service providers to accept 911 calls from any wireless phone. Even those phones that have no service contract or number assigned. With wireless calls, a user s hould be able to dial 911 and reach a 911 operator whether the cellular telephone is under contract and in service or not. These calls for emergency assistance are free of charge. As a call is made for any 911 emergency, the cellular provider's system will route the call to the nearest 911 operator. Thus acting as a locating service for the user and the emergency operations. This mandated will take effect on October of 2001. The new FCC regulation provides both challenges and barriers to telecommunication providers. There are three major issues each provider must overcome. The first is how to determine the past way to provide the mandated service to consumers. Each carrier must deploy the technology to provider the caller's location. Secondly, which mode is best to accomplish the task at hand via network or cellular phones? Currently, carrier can provide emergency personnel the name, address and other necessary information about a caller, if that caller is a current subscriber to their network. However, there are limitations to callers who are not current cellular subscriber. Thirdly, this service must be provided whether the cellular service is active or not. Not only must the provider supply 911 access, as Phase II of the regulation; they must also provide location services. This service will enable emergency providers to locate the person calling 911 for assistance. Without this service, emergency personnel may not find a confused or injured consumer in a timely manner. Carriers are not in the process of defining and implementing technologies to their networks to provide these new location-based services. My current employer has deployed their location-based service. The billing and location technology has caused a great amount of delay in the deployment of the technology. From information obtained from the International Data Corporation (IDC), their report indicates that instead of waiting for Phase II, carriers should begin offering the services based on general location as soon as they have the technology deployed1. Phase II requires service providers to forward the location coordinates of a caller along with a number identification. The location of the caller is to be within 125 feet of the caller's actual location. Below is an example of the process a call goes through in order to comply with the regulation. 1 1 5 Location 3 & Number 2 6 The above diagramed process requires 7 steps. 1. Call is recognized by the mobile center. 2. Center contacts a service control provider. 3. Service Provider gives the center routing information so the call is sent to the nears PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) 4. Caller's information is sent back to the base station. 5. Call is routed to nearest PSAP. 6. Location information is sent from Service Control Provider to PSAP Database. 7. Call is then routed to a 911Operator. This process requires each cellular/wireless provider to enact the same processes whether through their current network system or via cellular handsets. Which brings us to the second issue with this regulation. As Phase II quickly approaches, each provider must come up with and implement their plan of action to comply with the service diagramed previously. Each provider must decide if this task