WIRELESS CARRIERS REPORT E911 PROGRESS, CONTINUED CHALLENGES

In the first meeting last week of the FCC’s E911 Coordination Initiative, Chmn. Powell said this round of quarterly reports showed “increased momentum in deployment” (CD April 30 p2). Public safety funding and the pace of required LEC network upgrades were among the issues raised at the day-long meeting of public safety, wireless and govt. officials.

Sprint introduced 3 additional GPS-enabled handset models in the first quarter of 2003 for a total of 15 now available, it told the FCC, and sold more than 3 million GPS- equipped handsets and deployed Phase 2 service in 81 PSAPs for a total of 202 in 16 states. It also said it had installed 119 additional Phase 1 systems to increase its total to 1,798. “Although Phase 2 continues to face substantial challenges, progress is being made, and as LECs implement their cost-recovery mechanisms, the pace is expected to increase,” Sprint said. “LEC delays in upgrading their landline networks to accommodate Phase 2 wireless technology have prevented wireless carriers and PSAPs from proceeding with timely deployment.” A recent FCC ruling clarifying the role of LECs helped, but mobile operators and PSAPs continued to wait for LECs to finalize cost recovery efforts, Sprint said.

“PSAPs face funding issues and some have even begun withdrawing requests,” Sprint said, and that based on its testing schedule it expected to see a continued upswing in the number of deployed PSAPs. It had disclosed earlier that it hadn’t reached 100% of GPS-equipped handset activations required as of the end of 2002. Sprint, the only carrier with that deadline, said it expected to meet the penetration rate by June 30 as it continued to make “dramatic strides.” In the first quarter, 91% of handset sales and 75% of handset activations were GPS-enabled, the carrier said. “Even more dramatic, 97% of handset sales and 80% of handset activations were GPS enabled during the month of March.”

Verizon Wireless said it met its 2002 benchmark dates for rollout of the network-assisted part of its Assisted GPS (AGPS)/Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT) in its Lucent and Nortel markets. Deployment of the network- assisted part of the technology in Motorola markets was final as of March 1, it said. As of April 15, and since its last quarterly report, Verizon has rolled out Phase 1 service to more than 100 additional PSAPs in states ranging from Fla. to Tex. It now provides Phase 1 service to 1,831 PSAPs in 40 states. It has begun Phase 2 service to another 154 PSAPs since the 4th quarter of 2002 and now serves 455 in 19 states. Verizon Wireless said that it had 10 GPS-capable handset models capable of transmitting a caller’s location and that “most” handset models it sold are GPS-equipped. Verizon reported meeting its 25% handset deployment milestone by March 30 and said 34% of the new handsets activated in that period were location-capable.

Verizon Wireless said in cases where LEC or PSAP participation had posed a challenge, it had done work “on those milestones it can accomplish alone.” That means it has deployed Phase 1 service and made the network AGPS/AFLT capable and established accurate cell site location information in the base station directory. LECs must upgrade their automatic location information database interfaces to accept Phase 2 data from wireless carriers and modify their format for sending such data to PSAPs. “Verizon Wireless is concerned that LECs’ deployment delays pending approval of tariff approvals for PSAP charges and/or amendments to interconnection agreements are impeding completion of Phase 2 service.”

Nextel introduced its 2nd AGPS-capable handset Jan. 1, following the launch of its first in Oct., the carrier reported. It said it continued work with its handset vendor Motorola on additional models to be available later this year. Since its first implementation deadline of Oct. 1, Nextel said it had deployed Phase 2 service in 42 PSAP areas. Among the complications in some areas are LEC “holds,” Nextel said. For example, it said, in the territories served by Qwest, the LEC advised Nextel that deployments couldn’t begin until tariffs or contracts with PSAPs had been approved.” In service areas where tariff issues have been resolved, Nextel said it was scheduling all PSAPs that were ready to receive Phase 2 service. The carrier said it also was ready to begin rollouts in Qwest regions still awaiting final tariffs or contracts, and would start Phase 2 service as soon as possible when outstanding issues were resolved. “Because Nextel’s human capital is a finite resource and, in light of the technical complexities often involved with deployments, Nextel cannot possibly deploy all Qwest-area PSAPs simultaneously,” it said. Instead, it said it planned to work with each PSAP on agreeable timelines.

Cingular told the FCC that of 1,241 public safety requests received for E911 Phase 1 service, 97.4% were in service or on their way to being filled and 2.6% were on hold. Reasons for such holds include negotiation of service agreements, it said. Rather than challenge the validity of the “on hold” requests, Cingular said it was working with PSAPs to resolve outstanding issues. It said it had received 375 requests for Phase 2 service associated with its TDMA networks. In connection with an April 1 deadline, Cingular said it had completed all of the steps necessary -- apart from PSAP readiness -- to start providing service. As of Sept. 30, it had received requests for Phase 2 service on its TDMA network from 312 PSAPs. They had indicated they would be able to receive Phase 2 service within 6 months of that request. But Cingular said after it completed rollout of its Phase 2 solution to PSAPs that requested it, it found that 42.4% weren’t ready to use that information. “Thus, although Cingular is capable of supplying Phase 2 location information to these PSAPs, they are unable to receive and utilize this information,” it said. It said it would begin providing Phase 2 service to those PSAPs within 90 days of receiving written notice that they could engage in end-to-end testing.

AT&T Wireless told the FCC it had met each deployment benchmark for its TDMA network since its last quarterly report. For any valid public safety request for Phase 2 service on its TDMA network received by Feb. 28, 2002, AT&T Wireless had to provide a Phase 2 solution to all those PSAPs’ coverage areas by April 1, 2003. AT&T said it either integrated Phase 2 service into those areas by that date or had reached an agreement with the PSAP to extend the deadline. AT&T Wireless said it also had met each deployment benchmark for its GSM network since its last quarterly report.

Qwest Wireless began selling AGPS handsets on Jan. 31, 2003, which it told the FCC was “well before” the Commission’s benchmark date of March 1. “Since some PSAPs in Qwest Wireless’s markets are currently receiving Phase 2 data, customers in those areas who are now purchasing the AGPS handsets will be able to immediately benefit from the Phase 2 functionality built into the handsets,” the carrier said.