FCC Adopts Rules to Improve Wireless 911 Call Routing

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to more precisely route wireless 911 calls and Real-Time Texts (RTT) to 911 call centers, which can result in faster response times during emergencies and ultimately save lives. Wireless 911 calls have historically been routed to 911 call centers based on the location of the cell tower that handles the call. But in some cases, the nearest cell tower may be in a neighboring jurisdiction. In these cases, the call may be routed to a 911 call center in that neighboring jurisdiction, not the call center that serves the caller’s location. These wireless 911 calls must then be re-routed to the proper 911 call center, which can waste valuable time and resources during emergencies. The new rules will require wireless carriers to implement location based routing nationwide for wireless calls and RTT communications to 911 call centers. Using this precise location information to route 911 calls will result in millions more wireless 911 callers reaching emergency responders without the need for transfer or delay.