Goto Section: 20.15 | 20.19 | Table of Contents
FCC 20.18
Revised as of October 5, 2017
Goto Year:2016 |
2018
§ 20.18 911 Service.
(a) Scope of section. Except as described in paragraph (r) of this
section, the following requirements are only applicable to CMRS
providers, excluding mobile satellite service (MSS) operators, to the
extent that they:
(1) Offer real-time, two way switched voice service that is
interconnected with the public switched network; and
(2) Utilize an in-network switching facility that enables the provider
to reuse frequencies and accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber
calls. These requirements are applicable to entities that offer voice
service to consumers by purchasing airtime or capacity at wholesale
rates from CMRS licensees.
(b) Basic 911 Service. CMRS providers subject to this section must
transmit all wireless 911 calls without respect to their call
validation process to a Public Safety Answering Point, or, where no
Public Safety Answering Point has been designated, to a designated
statewide default answering point or appropriate local emergency
authority pursuant to § 64.3001 of this chapter, provided that “all
wireless 911 calls” is defined as “any call initiated by a wireless
user dialing 911 on a phone using a compliant radio frequency protocol
of the serving carrier.”
(c) Access to 911 services. CMRS providers subject to this section must
be capable of transmitting 911 calls from individuals with speech or
hearing disabilities through means other than mobile radio handsets,
e.g., through the use of Text Telephone Devices (TTY). CMRS providers
that provide voice communications over IP facilities are not required
to support 911 access via TTYs if they provide 911 access via real-time
text (RTT) communications, in accordance with 47 CFR part 67, except
that RTT support is not required to the extent that it is not
achievable for a particular manufacturer to support RTT on the
provider's network.
(d) Phase I enhanced 911 services. (1) As of April 1, 1998, or within
six months of a request by the designated Public Safety Answering Point
as set forth in paragraph (j) of this section, whichever is later,
licensees subject to this section must provide the telephone number of
the originator of a 911 call and the location of the cell site or base
station receiving a 911 call from any mobile handset accessing their
systems to the designated Public Safety Answering Point through the use
of ANI and Pseudo-ANI.
(2) When the directory number of the handset used to originate a 911
call is not available to the serving carrier, such carrier's
obligations under the paragraph (d)(1) of this section extend only to
delivering 911 calls and available call party information, including
that prescribed in paragraph (l) of this section, to the designated
Public Safety Answering Point.
Note to paragraph (d): With respect to 911 calls accessing their
systems through the use of TTYs, licensees subject to this section must
comply with the requirements in paragraphs (d)(1) and (d)(2) of this
section, as to calls made using a digital wireless system, as of
October 1, 1998.
(e) Phase II enhanced 911 service. Licensees subject to this section
must provide to the designated Public Safety Answering Point Phase II
enhanced 911 service, i.e., the location of all 911 calls by longitude
and latitude in conformance with Phase II accuracy requirements (see
paragraph (h) of this section).
(f) Phase-in for network-based location technologies. Licensees subject
to this section who employ a network-based location technology shall
provide Phase II 911 enhanced service to at least 50 percent of their
coverage area or 50 percent of their population beginning October 1,
2001, or within 6 months of a PSAP request, whichever is later; and to
100 percent of their coverage area or 100 percent of their population
within 18 months of such a request or by October 1, 2002, whichever is
later.
(g) Phase-in for handset-based location technologies. Licensees subject
to this section who employ a handset-based location technology may
phase in deployment of Phase II enhanced 911 service, subject to the
following requirements:
(1) Without respect to any PSAP request for deployment of Phase II 911
enhanced service, the licensee shall:
(i) Begin selling and activating location-capable handsets no later
than October 1, 2001;
(ii) Ensure that at least 25 percent of all new handsets activated are
location-capable no later than December 31, 2001;
(iii) Ensure that at least 50 percent of all new handsets activated are
location-capable no later than June 30, 2002; and
(iv) Ensure that 100 percent of all new digital handsets activated are
location-capable no later than December 31, 2002, and thereafter.
(v) By December 31, 2005, achieve 95 percent penetration of
location-capable handsets among its subscribers.
(vi) Licensees that meet the enhanced 911 compliance obligations
through GPS-enabled handsets and have commercial agreements with
resellers will not be required to include the resellers' handset counts
in their compliance percentages.
(2) Once a PSAP request is received, the licensee shall, in the area
served by the PSAP, within six months or by October 1, 2001, whichever
is later:
(i) Install any hardware and/or software in the CMRS network and/or
other fixed infrastructure, as needed, to enable the provision of Phase
II enhanced 911 service; and
(ii) Begin delivering Phase II enhanced 911 service to the PSAP.
(3) For all 911 calls from portable or mobile phones that do not
contain the hardware and/or software needed to enable the licensee to
provide Phase II enhanced 911 service, the licensee shall, after a PSAP
request is received, support, in the area served by the PSAP, Phase I
location for 911 calls or other available best practice method of
providing the location of the portable or mobile phone to the PSAP.
(4) Licensees employing handset-based location technologies shall
ensure that location-capable portable or mobile phones shall conform to
industry interoperability standards designed to enable the location of
such phones by multiple licensees.
(h) Phase II accuracy. Licensees subject to this section shall comply
with the following standards for Phase II location accuracy and
reliability, to be tested and measured either at the county or at the
PSAP service area geographic level, based on outdoor measurements only:
(1) Network-based technologies:
(i) 100 meters for 67 percent of calls, consistent with the following
benchmarks:
(A) One year from January 18, 2011, carriers shall comply with this
standard in 60 percent of counties or PSAP service areas. These
counties or PSAP service areas must cover at least 70 percent of the
population covered by the carrier across its entire network. Compliance
will be measured on a per-county or per-PSAP basis using, at the
carrier's election, either
(1) Network-based accuracy data, or
(2) Blended reporting as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iv) of this
section.
(B) Three years from January 18, 2011, carriers shall comply with this
standard in 70 percent of counties or PSAP service areas. These
counties or PSAP service areas must cover at least 80 percent of the
population covered by the carrier across its entire network. Compliance
will be measured on a per-county or per-PSAP basis using, at the
carrier's election, either
(1) Network-based accuracy data, or
(2) Blended reporting as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iv) of this
section.
(C) Five years from January 18, 2011, carriers shall comply with this
standard in 100% of counties or PSAP service areas covered by the
carrier. Compliance will be measured on a per-county or per-PSAP basis,
using, at the carrier's election, either
(1) Network-based accuracy data,
(2) Blended reporting as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iv) of this
section, or
(3) Handset-based accuracy data as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(v) of
this section.
(ii) 300 meters for 90 percent of calls, consistent with the following
benchmarks:
(A) Three years from January 18, 2011, carriers shall comply with this
standard in 60 percent of counties or PSAP service areas. These
counties or PSAP service areas must cover at least 70 percent of the
population covered by the carrier across its entire network. Compliance
will be measured on a per-county or per-PSAP basis using, at the
carrier's election, either
(1) Network-based accuracy data, or
(2) Blended reporting as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iv) of this
section.
(B) Five years from January 18, 2011, carriers shall comply in 70
percent of counties or PSAP service areas. These counties or PSAP
service areas must cover at least 80 percent of the population covered
by the carrier across its entire network. Compliance will be measured
on a per-county or per-PSAP basis using, at the carrier's election,
either
(1) Network-based accuracy data, or
(2) Blended reporting as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iv) of this
section.
(C) Eight years from January 18, 2011, carriers shall comply in 85
percent of counties or PSAP service areas. Compliance will be measured
on a per-county or per-PSAP basis using, at the carrier's election,
either
(1) Network-based accuracy data,
(2) Blended reporting as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iv) of this
section, or
(3) Handset-based accuracy data as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(v) of
this section.
(iii) County-level or PSAP-level location accuracy standards for
network-based technologies will be applicable to those counties or PSAP
service areas, on an individual basis, in which a network-based carrier
has deployed Phase II in at least one cell site located within a
county's or PSAP service area's boundary. Compliance with the
requirements of paragraph (h)(1)(i) and paragraph (h)(1)(ii) of this
section shall be measured and reported independently.
(iv) Accuracy data from both network-based solutions and handset-based
solutions may be blended to measure compliance with the accuracy
requirements of paragraph (h)(1)(i)(A) through (C) and paragraph
(h)(1)(ii)(A) through (C) of this section. Such blending shall be based
on weighting accuracy data in the ratio of assisted GPS (“A-GPS”)
handsets to non-A-GPS handsets in the carrier's subscriber base. The
weighting ratio shall be applied to the accuracy data from each
solution and measured against the network-based accuracy requirements
of paragraph (h)(1) of this section.
(v) A carrier may rely solely on handset-based accuracy data in any
county or PSAP service area if at least 85 percent of its subscribers,
network-wide, use A-GPS handsets, or if it offers A-GPS handsets to
subscribers in that county or PSAP service area at no cost to the
subscriber.
(vi) A carrier may exclude from compliance particular counties, or
portions of counties, where triangulation is not technically possible,
such as locations where at least three cell sites are not sufficiently
visible to a handset. Carriers must file a list of the specific
counties or portions of counties where they are utilizing this
exclusion within 90 days following approval from the Office of
Management and Budget for the related information collection. This list
must be submitted electronically into PS Docket No. 07-114, and copies
must be sent to the National Emergency Number Association, the
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International,
and the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators. Further,
carriers must submit in the same manner any changes to their exclusion
lists within thirty days of discovering such changes. This exclusion
will sunset on [8 years after effective date].
(2) Handset-based technologies:
(i) Two years from January 18, 2011, 50 meters for 67 percent of calls,
and 150 meters for 80 percent of calls, on a per-county or per-PSAP
basis. However, a carrier may exclude up to 15 percent of counties or
PSAP service areas from the 150 meter requirement based upon heavy
forestation that limits handset-based technology accuracy in those
counties or PSAP service areas.
(ii) Eight years from January 18, 2011, 50 meters for 67 percent of
calls, and 150 meters for 90 percent of calls, on a per-county or
per-PSAP basis. However, a carrier may exclude up to 15 percent of
counties or PSAP service areas from the 150 meter requirement based
upon heavy forestation that limits handset-based technology accuracy in
those counties or PSAP service areas.
(iii) Carriers must file a list of the specific counties or PSAP
service areas where they are utilizing the exclusion for heavy
forestation within 90 days following approval from the Office of
Management and Budget for the related information collection. This list
must be submitted electronically into PS Docket No. 07-114, and copies
must be sent to the National Emergency Number Association, the
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International,
and the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators. Further,
carriers must submit in the same manner any changes to their exclusion
lists within thirty days of discovering such changes.
(iv) Providers of new CMRS networks that meet the definition of covered
CMRS providers under paragraph (a) of this section must comply with the
requirements of paragraphs (h)(2)(i) through (iii) of this section. For
this purpose, a “new CMRS network” is a CMRS network that is newly
deployed subsequent to the effective date of the Third Report and Order
in PS Docket No. 07-114 and that is not an expansion or upgrade of an
existing CMRS network.
(3) Latency (Time to First Fix). For purposes of measuring compliance
with the location accuracy standards of this paragraph, a call will be
deemed to satisfy the standard only if it provides the specified degree
of location accuracy within a maximum latency period of 30 seconds, as
measured from the time the user initiates the 911 call to the time the
location fix appears at the location information center: Provided,
however, that the CMRS provider may elect not to include for purposes
of measuring compliance therewith any calls lasting less than 30
seconds.
(i) Indoor location accuracy for 911 and testing requirements—(1)
Definitions: The terms as used in this section have the following
meaning:
(i) Dispatchable location: A location delivered to the PSAP by the CMRS
provider with a 911 call that consists of the street address of the
calling party, plus additional information such as suite, apartment or
similar information necessary to adequately identify the location of
the calling party. The street address of the calling party must be
validated and, to the extent possible, corroborated against other
location information prior to delivery of dispatchable location
information by the CMRS provider to the PSAP.
(ii) Media Access Control (MAC) Address. A location identifier of a
Wi-Fi access point.
(iii) National Emergency Address Database (NEAD). A database that
utilizes MAC address information to identify a dispatchable location
for nearby wireless devices within the CMRS provider's coverage
footprint.
(iv) Nationwide CMRS provider: A CMRS provider whose service extends to
a majority of the population and land area of the United States.
(v) Non-nationwide CMRS provider: Any CMRS provider other than a
nationwide CMRS provider.
(vi) Test Cities. The six cities (San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta,
Denver/Front Range, Philadelphia, and Manhattan Borough) and
surrounding geographic areas that correspond to the six geographic
regions specified by the February 7, 2014 ATIS Document,
“Considerations in Selecting Indoor Test Regions,” for testing of
indoor location technologies.
(2) Indoor location accuracy standards: CMRS providers subject to this
section shall meet the following requirements:
(i) Horizontal location. (A) Nationwide CMRS providers shall provide;
dispatchable location, or ; x/y location within 50 meters, for the
following percentages of wireless 911 calls within the following
timeframes, measured from the effective date of the adoption of this
rule:
(1) Within 2 years: 40 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(2) Within 3 years: 50 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(3) Within 5 years: 70 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(4) Within 6 years: 80 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(B) Non-nationwide CMRS providers shall provide; dispatchable location
or; x/y location within 50 meters, for the following percentages of
wireless 911 calls within the following timeframes, measured from the
effective date of the adoption of this rule:
(1) Within 2 years: 40 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(2) Within 3 years: 50 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(3) Within 5 years or within six months of deploying a
commercially-operating VoLTE platform in their network, whichever is
later: 70 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(4) Within 6 years or within one year of deploying a
commercially-operating VoLTE platform in their network, whichever is
later: 80 percent of all wireless 911 calls.
(ii) Vertical location. CMRS providers shall provide vertical location
information with wireless 911 calls as described in this section within
the following timeframes measured from the effective date of the
adoption of this rule:
(A) Within 3 years: All CMRS providers shall make uncompensated
barometric data available to PSAPs with respect to any 911 call placed
from any handset that has the capability to deliver barometric sensor
information.
(B) Within 3 years: Nationwide CMRS providers shall develop one or more
z-axis accuracy metrics validated by an independently administered and
transparent test bed process as described in paragraph (i)(3)(i) of
this section, and shall submit the proposed metric or metrics,
supported by a report of the results of such development and testing,
to the Commission for approval.
(C) Within 6 years: In each of the top 25 CMAs, nationwide CMRS
providers shall deploy either;) dispatchable location, or ; z-axis
technology in compliance with any z-axis accuracy metric that has been
approved by the Commission,
(1) In each CMA where dispatchable location is used: nationwide CMRS
providers must ensure that the NEAD is populated with a sufficient
number of total dispatchable location reference points to equal 25
percent of the CMA population.
(2) In each CMA where z-axis technology is used: nationwide CMRS
providers must deploy z-axis technology to cover 80 percent of the CMA
population.
(D) Within 8 years: In each of the top 50 CMAs, nationwide CMRS
providers shall deploy either
(1) Dispatchable location or;
(2) Such z-axis technology in compliance with any z-axis accuracy
metric that has been approved by the Commission.
(E) Non-nationwide CMRS providers that serve any of the top 25 or 50
CMAs will have an additional year to meet each of the benchmarks in
paragraphs (i)(2)(ii)(C) and (D) of this section.
(iii) Compliance. Within 60 days after each benchmark date specified in
paragraphs (i)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section, CMRS providers must
certify that they are in compliance with the location accuracy
requirements applicable to them as of that date. CMRS providers shall
be presumed to be in compliance by certifying that they have complied
with the test bed and live call data provisions described in paragraph
(i)(3) of this section.
(A) All CMRS providers must certify that the indoor location technology
(or technologies) used in their networks are deployed consistently with
the manner in which they have been tested in the test bed. A CMRS
provider must update certification whenever it introduces a new
technology into its network or otherwise modifies its network, such
that previous performance in the test bed would no longer be consistent
with the technology's modified deployment.
(B) CMRS providers that provide quarterly reports of live call data in
one or more of the six test cities specified in paragraph (i)(1)(vi) of
this section must certify that their deployment of location
technologies throughout their coverage area is consistent with their
deployment of the same technologies in the areas that are used for live
call data reporting.
(C) Non-nationwide CMRS providers that do not provide service or report
quarterly live call data in any of the six test cities specified in
paragraph (i)(1)(vi) of this section must certify that they have
verified based on their own live call data that they are in compliance
with the requirements of paragraphs (i)(2)(i)(B) and (ii) of this
section.
(iv) Enforcement. PSAPs may seek Commission enforcement within their
geographic service area of the requirements of paragraphs (i)(2)(i) and
(ii) of this section, but only so long as they have implemented
policies that are designed to obtain all location information made
available by CMRS providers when initiating and delivering 911 calls to
the PSAP. Prior to seeking Commission enforcement, a PSAP must provide
the CMRS provider with [30] days written notice, and the CMRS provider
shall have an opportunity to address the issue informally. If the issue
has not been addressed to the PSAP's satisfaction within 90 days, the
PSAP may seek enforcement relief.
(3) Indoor location accuracy testing and live call data reporting—(i)
Indoor location accuracy test bed. CMRS providers must establish the
test bed described in this section within 12 months of the effective
date of this rule. CMRS providers must validate technologies intended
for indoor location, including dispatchable location technologies and
technologies that deliver horizontal and/or vertical coordinates,
through an independently administered and transparent test bed process,
in order for such technologies to be presumed to comply with the
location accuracy requirements of this paragraph. The test bed shall
meet the following minimal requirements in order for the test results
to be considered valid for compliance purposes:
(A) Include testing in representative indoor environments, including
dense urban, urban, suburban and rural morphologies;
(B) Test for performance attributes including location accuracy (ground
truth as measured in the test bed), latency (Time to First Fix), and
reliability (yield); and
(C) Each test call (or equivalent) shall be independent from prior
calls and accuracy will be based on the first location delivered after
the call is initiated.
(D) In complying with paragraph (i)(3)(i)(B) of this section, CMRS
providers shall measure yield separately for each individual indoor
location morphology (dense urban, urban, suburban, and rural) in the
test bed, and based upon the specific type of location technology that
the provider intends to deploy in real-world areas represented by that
particular morphology. CMRS providers must base the yield percentage
based on the number of test calls that deliver a location in compliance
with any applicable indoor location accuracy requirements, compared to
the total number of calls that successfully connect to the testing
network. CMRS providers may exclude test calls that are dropped or
otherwise disconnected in 10 seconds or less from calculation of the
yield percentage (both the denominator and numerator).
(ii) Collection and reporting of aggregate live 911 call location data.
CMRS providers providing service in any of the Test Cities or portions
thereof must collect and report aggregate data on the location
technologies used for live 911 calls in those areas.
(A) CMRS providers subject to this section shall identify and collect
information regarding the location technology or technologies used for
each 911 call in the reporting area during the calling period.
(B) CMRS providers subject to this section shall report Test City call
location data on a quarterly basis to the Commission, the National
Emergency Number Association, the Association of Public Safety
Communications Officials, and the National Association of State 911
Administrators, with the first report due 18 months from the effective
date of rules adopted in this proceeding.
(C) CMRS providers subject to this section shall also provide quarterly
live call data on a more granular basis that allows evaluation of the
performance of individual location technologies within different
morphologies (e.g., dense urban, urban, suburban, rural). To the extent
available, live call data for all CMRS providers shall delineate based
on a per technology basis accumulated and so identified for:
(1) Each of the ATIS ESIF morphologies;
(2) On a reasonable community level basis; or
(3) By census block. This more granular data will be used for
evaluation and not for compliance purposes.
(D) Non-nationwide CMRS providers that operate in a single Test City
need only report live 911 call data from that city or portion thereof
that they cover. Non-nationwide CMRS providers that operate in more
than one Test City must report live 911 call data only in half of the
regions (as selected by the provider). In the event a non-nationwide
CMRS provider begins coverage in a Test City it previously did not
serve, it must update its certification pursuant to paragraph
(i)(2)(iii)(C) of this section to reflect this change in its network
and begin reporting data from the appropriate areas. All non-nationwide
CMRS providers must report their Test City live call data every 6
months, beginning 18 months from the effective date of rules adopted in
this proceeding.
(E) Non-nationwide CMRS providers that do not provide coverage in any
of the Test Cities can satisfy the requirement of paragraph (i)(3)(ii)
of this section by collecting and reporting data based on the largest
county within its footprint. In addition, where a non-nationwide CMRS
provider serves more than one of the ATIS ESIF morphologies, it must
include a sufficient number of representative counties to cover each
morphology.
(iii) Data retention. CMRS providers shall retain testing and live call
data gathered pursuant to this section for a period of 2 years.
(4) Submission of plans and reports. The following reporting and
certification obligations apply to all CMRS providers subject to this
section, which may be filed electronically in PS Docket No. 07-114:
(i) Initial implementation plan. No later than 18 months from the
effective date of the adoption of this rule, nationwide CMRS providers
shall report to the Commission on their plans for meeting the indoor
location accuracy requirements of paragraph (i)(2) of this section.
Non-nationwide CMRS providers will have an additional 6 months to
submit their implementation plans.
(ii) Progress reports. No later than 18 months from the effective date
of the adoption of this rule, each CMRS provider shall file a progress
report on implementation of indoor location accuracy requirements.
Non-nationwide CMRS providers will have an additional 6 months to
submit their progress reports. All CMRS providers shall provide an
additional progress report no later than 36 months from the effective
date of the adoption of this rule. The 36-month reports shall indicate
what progress the provider has made consistent with its implementation
plan, and the nationwide CMRS providers shall include an assessment of
their deployment of dispatchable location solutions. For any CMRS
provider participating in the development of the NEAD database, this
progress report must include detail as to the implementation of the
NEAD database described in paragraphs (i)(4)(iii) and (iv) of this
section.
(iii) NEAD privacy and security plan. Prior to activation of the NEAD
but no later than 18 months from the effective date of the adoption of
this rule, the nationwide CMRS providers shall file with the Commission
and request approval for a security and privacy plan for the
administration and operation of the NEAD. The plan must include the
identity of an administrator for the NEAD, who will serve as a point of
contact for the Commission and shall be accountable for the
effectiveness of the security, privacy, and resiliency measures.
(iv) NEAD use certification. Prior to use of the NEAD or any
information contained therein to meet such requirements, CMRS providers
must certify that they will not use the NEAD or associated data for any
non-911 purpose, except as otherwise required by law.
(j) Confidence and uncertainty data. (1) Except as provided in
paragraphs (j)(2)-(3) of this section, CMRS providers subject to this
section shall provide for all wireless 911 calls, whether from outdoor
or indoor locations, x- and y-axis (latitude, longitude) confidence and
uncertainty information (C/U data) on a per-call basis upon the request
of a PSAP. The data shall specify
(i) The caller's location with a uniform confidence level of 90
percent, and;
(ii) The radius in meters from the reported position at that same
confidence level. All entities responsible for transporting confidence
and uncertainty between CMRS providers and PSAPs, including LECs,
CLECs, owners of E911 networks, and emergency service providers, must
enable the transmission of confidence and uncertainty data provided by
CMRS providers to the requesting PSAP.
(2) Upon meeting the 3-year timeframe pursuant to paragraph (i)(2)(i)
of this section, CMRS providers shall provide with wireless 911 calls
that have a dispatchable location the C/U data for the x- and y-axis
(latitude, longitude) required under paragraph (j)(1) of this section.
(3) Upon meeting the 6-year timeframe pursuant to paragraph (i)(2)(i)
of this section, CMRS providers shall provide with wireless 911 calls
that have a dispatchable location the C/U data for the x- and y-axis
(latitude, longitude) required under paragraph (j)(1) of this section.
(k) Provision of live 911 call data for PSAPs. Notwithstanding other
911 call data collection and reporting requirements in paragraph (i) of
this section, CMRS providers must record information on all live 911
calls, including, but not limited to, the positioning source method
used to provide a location fix associated with the call. CMRS providers
must also record the confidence and uncertainty data that they provide
pursuant to paragraphs (j)(1) through (3) of this section. This
information must be made available to PSAPs upon request, and shall be
retained for a period of two years.
(l) Reports on Phase II plans. Licensees subject to this section shall
report to the Commission their plans for implementing Phase II enhanced
911 service, including the location-determination technology they plan
to employ and the procedure they intend to use to verify conformance
with the Phase II accuracy requirements by November 9, 2000. Licensees
are required to update these plans within thirty days of the adoption
of any change. These reports and updates may be filed electronically in
a manner to be designated by the Commission.
(m) Conditions for enhanced 911 services—(1) Generally. The
requirements set forth in paragraphs (d) through (h)(2) and in
paragraph (j) of this section shall be applicable only to the extent
that the administrator of the applicable designated PSAP has requested
the services required under those paragraphs and such PSAP is capable
of receiving and utilizing the requested data elements and has a
mechanism for recovering the PSAP's costs associated with them.
(2) Commencement of six-month period. (i) Except as provided in
paragraph (ii) of this section, for purposes of commencing the
six-month period for carrier implementation specified in paragraphs
(d), (f) and (g) of this section, a PSAP will be deemed capable of
receiving and utilizing the data elements associated with the service
requested, if it can demonstrate that it has:
(A) Ordered the necessary equipment and has commitments from suppliers
to have it installed and operational within such six-month period; and
(B) Made a timely request to the appropriate local exchange carrier for
the necessary trunking, upgrades, and other facilities.
(ii) For purposes of commencing the six-month period for carrier
implementation specified in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section, a
PSAP that is Phase I-capable using a Non-Call Path Associated Signaling
(NCAS) technology will be deemed capable of receiving and utilizing the
data elements associated with Phase II service if it can demonstrate
that it has made a timely request to the appropriate local exchange
carrier for the ALI database upgrade necessary to receive the Phase II
information.
(3) Tolling of six-month period. Where a wireless carrier has served a
written request for documentation on the PSAP within 15 days of
receiving the PSAP's request for Phase I or Phase II enhanced 911
service, and the PSAP fails to respond to such request within 15 days
of such service, the six-month period for carrier implementation
specified in paragraphs (d), (f), and (g) of this section will be
tolled until the PSAP provides the carrier with such documentation.
(4) Carrier certification regarding PSAP readiness issues. At the end
of the six-month period for carrier implementation specified in
paragraphs (d), (f) and (g) of this section, a wireless carrier that
believes that the PSAP is not capable of receiving and utilizing the
data elements associated with the service requested may file a
certification with the Commission. Upon filing and service of such
certification, the carrier may suspend further implementation efforts,
except as provided in paragraph (j)(4)(x) of this section.
(i) As a prerequisite to filing such certification, no later than 21
days prior to such filing, the wireless carrier must notify the
affected PSAP, in writing, of its intent to file such certification.
Any response that the carrier receives from the PSAP must be included
with the carrier's certification filing.
(ii) The certification process shall be subject to the procedural
requirements set forth in sections 1.45 and 1.47 of this chapter.
(iii) The certification must be in the form of an affidavit signed by a
director or officer of the carrier, documenting:
(A) The basis for the carrier's determination that the PSAP will not be
ready;
(B) Each of the specific steps the carrier has taken to provide the
E911 service requested;
(C) The reasons why further implementation efforts cannot be made until
the PSAP becomes capable of receiving and utilizing the data elements
associated with the E911 service requested; and
(D) The specific steps that remain to be completed by the wireless
carrier and, to the extent known, the PSAP or other parties before the
carrier can provide the E911 service requested.
(iv) All affidavits must be correct. The carrier must ensure that its
affidavit is correct, and the certifying director or officer has the
duty to personally determine that the affidavit is correct.
(v) A carrier may not engage in a practice of filing inadequate or
incomplete certifications for the purpose of delaying its
responsibilities.
(vi) To be eligible to make a certification, the wireless carrier must
have completed all necessary steps toward E911 implementation that are
not dependent on PSAP readiness.
(vii) A copy of the certification must be served on the PSAP in
accordance with § 1.47 of this chapter. The PSAP may challenge in
writing the accuracy of the carrier's certification and shall serve a
copy of such challenge on the carrier. See § § 1.45 and 1.47 and § § 1.720
through 1.736 of this chapter.
(viii) If a wireless carrier's certification is facially inadequate,
the six-month implementation period specified in paragraphs (d), (f)
and (g) of this section will not be suspended as provided for in
paragraph (j)(4) of this section.
(ix) If a wireless carrier's certification is inaccurate, the wireless
carrier will be liable for noncompliance as if the certification had
not been filed.
(x) A carrier that files a certification under paragraph (j)(4) of this
section shall have 90 days from receipt of the PSAP's written notice
that it is capable of receiving and utilizing the data elements
associated with the service requested to provide such service in
accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (d) through (h) of this
section.
(5) Modification of deadlines by agreement. Nothing in this section
shall prevent Public Safety Answering Points and carriers from
establishing, by mutual consent, deadlines different from those imposed
for carrier and PSAP compliance in paragraphs (d), (f), and (g)(2) of
this section.
(n) Dispatch service. A service provider covered by this section who
offers dispatch service to customers may meet the requirements of this
section with respect to customers who utilize dispatch service either
by complying with the requirements set forth in paragraphs (b) through
(e) of this section, or by routing the customer's emergency calls
through a dispatcher. If the service provider chooses the latter
alternative, it must make every reasonable effort to explicitly notify
its current and potential dispatch customers and their users that they
are not able to directly reach a PSAP by calling 911 and that, in the
event of an emergency, the dispatcher should be contacted.
(o) Non-service-initialized handsets. (1) Licensees subject to this
section that donate a non-service-initialized handset for purposes of
providing access to 911 services are required to:
(i) Program each handset with 911 plus the decimal representation of
the seven least significant digits of the Electronic Serial Number,
International Mobile Equipment Identifier, or any other identifier
unique to that handset;
(ii) Affix to each handset a label which is designed to withstand the
length of service expected for a non-service-initialized phone, and
which notifies the user that the handset can only be used to dial 911,
that the 911 operator will not be able to call the user back, and that
the user should convey the exact location of the emergency as soon as
possible; and
(iii) Institute a public education program to provide the users of such
handsets with information regarding the limitations of
non-service-initialized handsets.
(2) Manufacturers of 911-only handsets that are manufactured on or
after May 3, 2004, are required to:
(i) Program each handset with 911 plus the decimal representation of
the seven least significant digits of the Electronic Serial Number,
International Mobile Equipment Identifier, or any other identifier
unique to that handset;
(ii) Affix to each handset a label which is designed to withstand the
length of service expected for a non-service-initialized phone, and
which notifies the user that the handset can only be used to dial 911,
that the 911 operator will not be able to call the user back, and that
the user should convey the exact location of the emergency as soon as
possible; and
(iii) Institute a public education program to provide the users of such
handsets with information regarding the limitations of 911-only
handsets.
(3) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of this
paragraph.
(i) Non-service-initialized handset. A handset for which there is no
valid service contract with a provider of the services enumerated in
paragraph (a) of this section.
(ii) 911-only handset. A non-service-initialized handset that is
manufactured with the capability of dialing 911 only and that cannot
receive incoming calls.
(p) Reseller obligation. (1) Beginning December 31, 2006, resellers
have an obligation, independent of the underlying licensee, to provide
access to basic and enhanced 911 service to the extent that the
underlying licensee of the facilities the reseller uses to provide
access to the public switched network complies with sections
20.18(d)-(g).
(2) Resellers have an independent obligation to ensure that all
handsets or other devices offered to their customers for voice
communications and sold after December 31, 2006 are capable of
transmitting enhanced 911 information to the appropriate PSAP, in
accordance with the accuracy requirements of section 20.18(i).
(q) Text-to-911 Requirements—(1) Covered Text Provider: Notwithstanding
any other provisions in this section, for purposes of this paragraph
(n) of this section, a “covered text provider” includes all CMRS
providers as well as all providers of interconnected text messaging
services that enable consumers to send text messages to and receive
text messages from all or substantially all text-capable U.S. telephone
numbers, including through the use of applications downloaded or
otherwise installed on mobile phones.
(2) Automatic Bounce-back Message: an automatic text message delivered
to a consumer by a covered text provider in response to the consumer's
attempt to send a text message to 911 when the consumer is located in
an area where text-to-911 service is unavailable or the covered text
provider does not support text-to-911 service generally or in the area
where the consumer is located at the time.
(3) No later than September 30, 2013, all covered text providers shall
provide an automatic bounce-back message under the following
circumstances:
(i) A consumer attempts to send a text message to a Public Safety
Answering Point (PSAP) by means of the three-digit short code “911”;
and
(ii) The covered text provider cannot deliver the text because the
consumer is located in an area where:
(A) Text-to-911 service is unavailable; or
(B) The covered text provider does not support text-to-911 service at
the time.
(4)(i) A covered text provider is not required to provide an automatic
bounce-back message when:
(A) Transmission of the text message is not controlled by the provider;
(B) A consumer is attempting to text 911, through a text messaging
application that requires CMRS service, from a non-service initialized
handset;
(C) When the text-to-911 message cannot be delivered to a PSAP due to
failure in the PSAP network that has not been reported to the provider;
or
(D) A consumer is attempting to text 911 through a device that is
incapable of sending texts via three digit short codes, provided the
software for the device cannot be upgraded over the air to allow
text-to-911.
(ii) The provider of a preinstalled or downloadable interconnected text
application is considered to have “control” over transmission of text
messages for purposes of paragraph (n)(4)(i)(A) of this section.
However, if a user or a third party modifies or manipulates the
application after it is installed or downloaded so that it no longer
supports bounce-back messaging, the application provider will be
presumed not to have control.
(5) The automatic bounce-back message shall, at a minimum, inform the
consumer that text-to-911 service is not available and advise the
consumer or texting program user to use another means to contact
emergency services.
(6) Covered text providers that support text-to-911 must provide a
mechanism to allow PSAPs that accept text-to-911 to request temporary
suspension of text-to-911 service for any reason, including, but not
limited to, network congestion, call taker overload, PSAP failure, or
security breach, and to request resumption of text-to-911 service after
such temporary suspension. During any period of suspension of
text-to-911 service, the covered text provider must provide an
automatic bounce-back message to any consumer attempting to text to 911
in the area subject to the temporary suspension.
(7) Notwithstanding any other provisions in this section, when a
consumer is roaming on a covered text provider's host network pursuant
to § 20.12, the covered text provider operating the consumer's home
network shall have the obligation to originate an automatic bounce-back
message to such consumer when the consumer is located in an area where
text-to-911 service is unavailable, or the home provider does not
support text-to-911 service in that area at the time. The host provider
shall not impede the consumer's 911 text message to the home provider
and/or any automatic bounce-back message originated by the home
provider to the consumer roaming on the host network.
(8) A software application provider that transmits text messages
directly into the SMS network of the consumer's underlying CMRS
provider satisfies the obligations of paragraph (n)(3) of this section
provided it does not prevent or inhibit delivery of the CMRS provider's
automatic bounce-back message to the consumer.
(9) 911 text message. A 911 text message is a message, consisting of
text characters, sent to the short code “911” and intended to be
delivered to a PSAP by a covered text provider, regardless of the text
messaging platform used.
(10) Delivery of 911 text messages. (i) No later than December 31,
2014, all covered text providers must have the capability to route a
911 text message to a PSAP. In complying with this requirement, covered
text providers must obtain location information sufficient to route
text messages to the same PSAP to which a 911 voice call would be
routed, unless the responsible local or state entity designates a
different PSAP to receive 911 text messages and informs the covered
text provider of that change. All covered text providers using
device-based location information that requires consumer activation
must clearly inform consumers that they must grant permission for the
text messaging application to access the wireless device's location
information in order to enable text-to-911. If a consumer does not
permit this access, the covered text provider's text application must
provide an automated bounce-back message as set forth in paragraph
(n)(3) of this section.
(ii) Covered text providers must begin routing all 911 text messages to
a PSAP by June 30, 2015, or within six months of the PSAP's valid
request for text-to-911 service, whichever is later, unless an
alternate timeframe is agreed to by both the PSAP and the covered text
provider. The covered text provider must notify the Commission of the
dates and terms of the alternate timeframe within 30 days of the
parties' agreement.
(iii) Valid Request means that:
(A) The requesting PSAP is, and certifies that it is, technically ready
to receive 911 text messages in the format requested;
(B) The appropriate local or state 911 service governing authority has
specifically authorized the PSAP to accept and, by extension, the
covered text provider to provide, text-to-911 service; and
(C) The requesting PSAP has provided notification to the covered text
provider that it meets the foregoing requirements. Registration by the
PSAP in a database made available by the Commission in accordance with
requirements established in connection therewith, or any other written
notification reasonably acceptable to the covered text provider, shall
constitute sufficient notification for purposes of this paragraph.
(iv) The requirements set forth in paragraphs (n)(10)(i) through (iii)
of this section do not apply to in-flight text messaging providers, MSS
providers, or IP Relay service providers, or to 911 text messages that
originate from Wi-Fi only locations or that are transmitted from
devices that cannot access the CMRS network.
(11) Access to SMS networks for 911 text messages. To the extent that
CMRS providers offer Short Message Service (SMS), they shall allow
access by any other covered text provider to the capabilities necessary
for transmission of 911 text messages originating on such other covered
text providers' application services. Covered text providers using the
CMRS network to deliver 911 text messages must clearly inform consumers
that, absent an SMS plan with the consumer's underlying CMRS provider,
the covered text provider may be unable to deliver 911 text messages.
CMRS providers may migrate to other technologies and need not retain
SMS networks solely for other covered text providers' 911 use, but must
notify the affected covered text providers not less than 90 days before
the migration is to occur.
(r) Contraband Interdiction System (CIS) requirement. CIS providers
regulated as private mobile radio service (see § 20.3) must transmit all
wireless 911 calls without respect to their call validation process to
a Public Safety Answering Point, or, where no Public Safety Answering
Point has been designated, to a designated statewide default answering
point or appropriate local emergency authority pursuant to § 64.3001 of
this chapter, provided that “all wireless 911 calls” is defined as “any
call initiated by a wireless user dialing 911 on a phone using a
compliant radio frequency protocol of the serving carrier.” This
requirement shall not apply if the Public Safety Answering Point or
emergency authority informs the CIS provider that it does not wish to
receive 911 calls from the CIS provider.
[ 63 FR 2637 , Jan. 16, 1998]
Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting § 20.18, see
the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids
section of the printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov.
Effective Date Notes: 1. At 68 FR 2918 , Jan. 22, 2003, in § 20.18,
paragraph (j) was revised. Paragraphs (j)(4) and (5) contain
information collection and recordkeeping requirements and will not
become effective until approval has been given by the Office of
Management and Budget.
2. At 82 FR 22760 , May 18, 2017, in § 20.18, paragraph (a) was revised
and paragraph (r) was added. These paragraphs contain information
collection and recordkeeping requirements and will not become effective
until approval has been given by the Office of Management and Budget.
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