Disagreements Continue About Need for Changes to 911 Reliability Rules

Numbering Association urged the FCC to impose new 911 reliability rules and industry backed streamlining existing rules (see 1807170034). The Public Safety Bureau sought comment in June on 911 network reliability and whether current rules should be “modified to adapt to advancements in technology or other changes.” NASNA said the current reporting requirement for covered 911 providers is working. “The annual certification process is useful to state 911 administrators,” NASNA said. “It enables them to know what each individual provider has warranted on record. When issues arise, it enables them to work with the covered 911 service provider and the Commission to resolve those issues.” Less frequent certifications wouldn’t work, the group said: “A lot can change in a network in the course of 12 months.” AT&T urged overhauling the rules, "to eliminate wasteful, low-utility reporting practices." Such information "is almost never used by any of the intended beneficiaries,” it noted. Alternatively, the FCC could narrow the scope of the information required and reduce the frequency of reporting to every three years, AT&T said. ATIS would support eliminating the certification requirement: “There is no evidence that this requirement has had any significant impact to network reliability or resiliency.” T-Mobile said the FCC should leave the current rules in place. “The importance of the issue is reflected in the size of the record compiled when the Commission first considered adopting rules to improve the reliability and resiliency of 911 communications networks,” the carrier said.