Background
The number of 911 calls placed by people
using wireless phones has more than doubled since 1995, to over 50
million a year. Public safety personnel estimate that about 30
percent of the millions of 911 calls they receive daily are placed
from wireless phones, and that percentage is growing.
For many Americans, the ability to call 911
for help in an emergency is one of the main reasons they own a
wireless phone. Other wireless 911 calls come from “Good
Samaritans” reporting traffic accidents, crimes or other
emergencies. Prompt delivery of these and other wireless 911 calls
to public safety organizations benefits the public by promoting
safety of life and property.
Unique Challenges Posed by Wireless Phones
While wireless phones can be an important
public safety tool, they also create unique challenges for public
safety and emergency response personnel and for wireless service
providers. Because wireless phones are mobile, they are not
associated with one fixed location or address. A caller using a
wireless phone could be calling from anywhere. While the location
of the cell site closest to the caller may provide a very general
indication of the caller’s location, that information is not
usually specific enough for rescue personnel to deliver assistance
to the caller quickly.
The FCC’s Wireless 911 Rules
As part of its efforts to improve public
safety, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted
rules aimed at improving the reliability of wireless 911 services
and the accuracy of the location information transmitted with a
wireless 911 call. Such improvements enable emergency response
personnel to provide assistance to 911 callers much more quickly.
The FCC’s wireless 911 rules apply to all
wireless licensees, broadband Personal Communications Service
(PCS) licensees, and certain Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR)
licensees. Here are the specific requirements.
Basic 911 rules require wireless
service providers to:
Phase I Enhanced 911 (E911) rules
require wireless service providers to:
Phase II E911 rules require wireless
service providers to:
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within six months of a valid request by a
PSAP, provide more precise location information to PSAPs;
specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. This
information must be accurate to within 50 to 300 meters
depending on the type of technology used.
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by September 11, 2012, provide even more
precise location information, specifically, information accurate
to the closest PSAP. The FCC established a five year phase-in
period for this requirement to allow wireless service providers
more time to develop this capability. Wireless service providers
must report to the FCC annually on their progress in supplying
this more accurate location information for PSAPs with Phase II
E911 capability.
Compliance
Wireless service providers may comply with
certain FCC E911 rules by ensuring that 95 percent of their
customers’ handsets are E911-capable (also referred to as
location-capable). The FCC’s rules permit providers to choose how
they will meet this requirement. Some providers may provide
incentives to encourage customers without location-capable phones
to obtain new, location-capable phones. For example, they may
offer location-capable handsets at a discount. Some providers may
choose to prevent reactivation of older handsets that don’t have
E911 capability, or may adopt various other measures.
If a provider declines to reactivate a
handset that is not location-capable, the FCC requires the
provider to still deliver a 911 call from that handset to the
appropriate PSAP.
The provider, however, may not be able to
accurately and automatically determine your location for the PSAP.
Therefore, when replacing your handset, you should always ask
about the new handset's E911 capabilities.
Tips for 911 Calling
The FCC’s 911 rules for wireless service
providers are being implemented over a period of several years. In
addition, cities and states must update their PSAPs to receive
caller identification and location information, a costly effort
that can take several years to complete. Therefore, consumers that
call 911 from a wireless phone should remember the following:
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Tell the emergency operator the location of
the emergency right away.
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Give the emergency operator your wireless
phone number so that, if the call gets disconnected, the
operator can call you back.
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If your wireless phone is not “initialized”
(meaning you do not have a contract for service with a wireless
service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected,
you must call the emergency operator back because the operator
does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you.
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To help public safety personnel allocate
emergency resources, learn and use the designated number in your
state for highway accidents or other non life-threatening
incidents. Often, states reserve specific numbers for these
types of incidents. For example, “#77” is the number used for
highway accidents in Virginia. The number to call for non
life-threatening incidents in your state can be found in the
front of your phone book.
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Refrain from programming your phone to
automatically dial 911 when one button, such as the “9” key, is
pressed. Unintentional wireless 911 calls, which often occur
when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems
for emergency call centers.
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If your wireless phone came pre-programmed
with the auto-dial 911 feature already turned on, turn off this
feature. Check your user manual to find out how.
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Lock your keypad when you’re not using your
wireless phone. This action also prevents accidental calls to
911.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a problem completing a 911 call
from your wireless phone, first try to resolve the problem with
your service provider. If you can’t resolve it directly, or if you
think your wireless service provider is not complying with FCC
wireless 911 requirements, you can file a complaint with the FCC.
There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your
complaint using the on-line complaint Form 2000D found on the FCC
Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html. You can also file your
complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing
fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling
1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications
Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to
process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint
Form 2000D. If you do not use the on-line complaint Form 2000D,
your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:
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your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number where you
can be reached;
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the name of the company that you’re complaining about;
telephone number involved, account number, date of incident, and
description of the problem.
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For More Information
For more information about the FCC's
wireless 911 rules, visit the FCC's wireless 911 Web site at
www.fcc.gov/pshs/services/911-services.
For information about other telecommunications issues, visit
the FCC's Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Web
site at www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the
FCC's Consumer Center using the information provided for
filing a complaint.
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Federal Communications Commission
