Public safety groups urged FCC Wed. to refer to Enforcement Burea...
Public safety groups urged FCC Wed. to refer to Enforcement Bureau waivers for Enhanced 911 Phase 2 filed by small wireless carriers that weren’t covered in July 26 order that applied to 110 operators that already had sought relief.…
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National Emergency Number Assn., Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and National Assn. of State 911 Administrators said that among largest wireless carriers, AT&T Wireless and Cingular previously were referred to Enforcement Bureau to explain their tardy waiver requests. “We see no reason to avoid similar referrals of smaller carriers, particularly those whose late-filed requests are devoid of specific reasons for not acting earlier,” public safety groups said. FCC last month pushed back Phase 2 deadlines 7 months for medium (Tier 2) carriers and 13 months for smallest (Tier 3) carriers for rolling out Phase 2 E911, keeping final implementation date of Dec. 31, 2005, intact. Last fall, Commission adopted compliance plans for extended E911 implementation timelines for 6 national wireless carriers. Staying of compliance dates on interim basis for smaller carriers applied only to 110 carriers whose requests for more time already were on file, groups said. They said that since July 26 order was issued, 8 additional small carriers had filed waiver requests and more were expected. “Absent an effort to build specific records on these pending waiver requests, it will look as if either the carriers or the FCC don’t care about noncompliance by smaller carriers,” public safety filing said. “The public safety organizations are sure that is not the case.”