FCC Adopts Rules to Help Emergency Responders Better Locate Wireless 911 Callers

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to help emergency responders better locate wireless callers to 911. These updates to the FCC’s Enhanced 911 (E911) rules respond to Americans’ increasing use of wireless phones to call 911, especially from indoors, where traditional 911 location technologies often do not work effectively or at all. The new rules take advantage of technological developments that will allow for more accurate location information to be transmitted with indoor 911 calls. The new rules establish clear and measureable timelines for wireless providers to meet indoor location accuracy benchmarks, both for horizontal and vertical location information.