E-911 issues and coordination with IP networks are likely to be r...
E-911 issues and coordination with IP networks are likely to be revisited in the 110th Congress, said a Congressional Research Service report on emergency communications. Most 911 funding is local, but federal funding is needed to develop an IP-based…
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network capability for 911, strengthen call centers and legislate requirements for 911 compliance for calls placed with VoIP, the report said. The 110th Congress may need to oversee how well the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) handles new responsibilities given it under laws heightening emphasis on emergency communications within the agency. The Homeland Security Appropriations Act requires the agency to develop an effective communications strategy for first responders. DHS also has to inventory radio frequencies federal entities use. The safety community wants Congress to do more to analyze spectrum needs, the report noted. “The 110th Congress might find itself facing calls to reallocate for public safety use channels at 700 MHz that were designated for auction by the Deficit Reduction Act,” the report said. There’s also the issue of creating a structure in which private sector and public safety can share spectrum, it said. The FCC controls auctions and manages state and local first responder spectrum use while NTIA handles federal use of radio frequencies. Congress could review the efforts of FCC and NTIA to better coordinate spectrum policy, the report said.