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Enhanced 911 (E-911)
CTIA Position:
CTIA-The Wireless Association® and the wireless industry are fully committed to ensuring customers have access to Enhanced 911 (E-911) services.
The wireless industry has heavily invested in its network deploying capabilities required to identify the location of wireless calls to 911.
The wireless industry is working diligently to meet deadlines established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for deploying E-911 technology and to fulfill public safety requests for enhanced capabilities.
However, successful implementation of E-911 requires local phone companies, public safety, state governments, and wireless to be on the same page and have equal capability for installing the necessary technology.
Key Points:
- Wireless Carriers Have Heavily Invested in their Networks to Provide State-of-the-Art E-911 Technology. Wireless providers have invested billions of dollars in upgrading the hardware and software in their networks to deploy E-911 service. Wireless carriers have already received—and fulfilled—thousands of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) requests for Phase I and Phase II service, and are working actively with PSAPs to meet their needs.
- Responsible Allocation of E-911 Funds will Ensure Better Coverage Across the Country and more Customer Access.Wireless carriers are investing in networks, and customers are contributing to the state and local E-911 funds that have been established. In a majority of states, the E-911 system is funded specifically by E-911 surcharges and not through general tax revenues. Unfortunately, some states have been dipping into their E-911 funds to pay for other things—ranging from stopgap patches covering budget shortfalls to outright diversion of funds to other purposes. The wireless industry strongly advocates continued vigilance amongst state legislatures to keep E-911 funds earmarked strictly for E-911 purposes.
- Outdated and Underfunded PSAPs Put E-911 Roll-Out on Hold and Leave Wireless Consumers at Risk. Many Americans have no access to E-911 benefits because either the local wireline phone company doesn’t have the ability to carry the information to the 911 agency, or the PSAP hasn’t been provided the necessary funds to upgrade its system to use the wireless caller’s location information. Because PSAP capabilities remain inconsistent, many consumers have not been able to receive the full benefits of this life saving technology.
- Coverage and Capacity are Vital Parts of Wireless Communications and are Critically Important when it Comes to Calling 911. Often times, local jurisdictions either prevent or slow carriers’ ability to construct critical new cell sites. These impediments also limit the customer’s ability to place 911 calls. As the wireless industry navigates the many local and federal antenna siting requirements, it advocates quick resolution of pending siting applications. Consumers receive better and even more reliable service when carriers can expand coverage and capacity.
- When Dialing 911 from a Wireless Device, Customers can Quicken Response Time by Remembering a few Simple Tips:
- Stay calm and speak clearly.
- Be prepared to tell the 911 calltaker the specific location of the emergency (address, street intersection, landmarks, city, county, mile marker, etc.), your cell phone number, the nature of the emergency, and the type of assistance needed.
- Do not hang up until the 911 calltaker has obtained all of the information that is needed.
- If the signal is lost and you are disconnected, call back right away.
- If you are in a moving vehicle when calling 911 from a cell phone, be sure to stop the vehicle. It is difficult to obtain all of the information needed if you are getting further from the emergency.
More than 230,000 wireless phone calls are placed to 911 each day. These calls exemplify the importance of putting safety first, as well as the crucial role wireless technology can play during emergency situations.
