FCC Strengthens E911 Location Accuracy for Wireless Services

The Federal Communications Commission strengthened the Enhanced 911 (E911) location accuracy rules for wireless carriers and sought comment on improving both 911 availability and E911 location determination for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

E911 technology automatically provides a 911 call operator with the caller’s telephone number and location information from either a landline or a wireless phone. Wireless carriers have historically provided E911 location information by one of two methods: “handset-based,” where location information is generated by GPS or similar technology installed in the caller’s handset, or “network-based,” where location information is generated by triangulating the caller’s wireless signal in relation to nearby cell sites in the carrier’s network. The FCC’s rules require wireless carriers to identify the caller’s location for a specified percentage of 911 calls within a range of 50 to 150 meters for carriers that use handset-based technology, and 100 to 300 meters for carriers that use network-based technology. In September 2010, the FCC adopted benchmarks for wireless carriers to meet these handset- and network-based accuracy thresholds at the county or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) level for increasing percentages of 911 calls over an eight-year period.

In this action, the FCC announced that after the conclusion of the eight-year implementation period in early 2019, it will sunset the existing network-based rule and require all wireless carriers to meet the more stringent location accuracy standards in the handset-based rule. The FCC will set a specific sunset date for the network-based standard at a later date, after further notice and comment. The FCC also required new wireless network carriers to meet the handset-based accuracy standard going forward.

The FCC also required all wireless carriers to test their E911 location accuracy results periodically and to share the results with PSAPs, state 911 offices, and the FCC , subject to confidentiality safeguards. The FCC referred to the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) the task of making recommendations to the Commission in six months on specific, cost effective testing requirements and methodologies.