A Senate source said Thurs. it appeared senators were ‘getting cl...

$500 million annually -- sources said there are other concerns about grant eligibility. States like Tenn. and Minn., which have already significantly deployed E911 Phase 2, are raising fairness issues, since E911 grants seem more likely to go to states that haven’t deployed Phase 2. The House has already passed E911 legislation, but it committed only $100 million yearly. Industry sources have said the White House has put more emphasis on another stalled piece of legislation, the Spectrum Relocation Trust Fund (HR- 1320), than on E911. One industry source questioned whether Sen. Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) involvement in the process was fueling White House resistance, at least partly. Clinton is a co-chmn. of the Congressional E911 Caucus and co-sponsor of S-1250. She’s also one of the Republican party’s biggest nemeses. FCC Comr. Adelstein, speaking at an E911 Institute luncheon in the Senate on Thurs., said that just as Public Safety Answering Points were “overcoming each roadblock along the way,” VoIP could pose a new problem for 911 communications. “We must make sure E911 comes with it,” Adelstein said. Progress toward E911 was being made by VoIP providers, Adelstein said. Many communities still don’t have basic 911, speakers at the luncheon said. Steve Souder, Montgomery Co., Md., 911 dir., said as much as 26% of rural America doesn’t have basic 911 service. But he said as many as 1/2 of 911 calls in urban areas come from cell phones. Maureen Napolitano, Verizon E911 dir., said that while the 911 network is viewed by some as “antiquated,” she said “it works.”