T-Mobile USA told the FCC it planned to use a network- based tech...

Cingular Wireless delivered a similar message to the Commission in recent months on discontinuing plans for installing E-OTD technology. E-OTD is a hybrid handset- network solution for locating wireless 911 callers. Cingular told the FCC in Oct. it was conducting field trials of alternative location technologies for the GSM part of its network. T-Mobile Senior Corp. Counsel Robert Calaff told the FCC Wireless and Enforcement bureaus in a letter Fri. that the carrier had decided to use a network-based Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) system for Phase 2. Factors in the decision included the “practical likelihood of continued strong vendor commitment to implement and upgrade E-OTD” to meet the Oct. 2003 accuracy standard in light of the decision by AT&T and Cingular to shift away from E-OTD for their GSM networks. T-Mobile also cited the “likelihood” that the AT&T and Cingular decisions would draw vendor time and resources away from further E-OTD development. It also listed the “Commission’s imperative that carriers deploying handset solutions achieve 95% penetration of location-capable handsets throughout their customer base by December 2005.” T-Mobile said a factor that set it apart from AT&T Wireless and Cingular was that it used only GSM and couldn’t leverage automatic location identification (ALI) technology developments for other air interfaces. It also said it “had to weigh the difficulties of changing Phase 2 technologies midstream, after devoting substantial time and effort to E- OTD development and delivering Phase 2 E-OTD services to a number of PSAPs.” But it said the decision to move away from E-OTD reflected a recognition of the “practical difficulties” of being the only national carrier pursuing E-OTD, “including the ramifications for future vendor support and development and the consequent uncertainty surrounding the ability to refine further the accuracy of E-OTD technology consistent with the Commission’s timelines.” T-Mobile cited the challenge of reaching 95% handset penetration in its subscriber base by Dec. 31, 2005, “given the slower-than- expected pace of development of ALI technologies.” Nextel said last week it backed removal of the 95% ultimate deadline in 2005 if carriers were meeting interim benchmarks for handset deployment (CD March 25 p4). T-Mobile also told the bureaus it wouldn’t immediately discontinue Phase 2 E-OTD in areas where the service already had been rolled out. A transition for such areas will be part of its deployment plan for TDOA, which still is under development, the carrier said.