Vt. Dept. of Emergency Management says it is abandoning plan to set up statewide reverse 911 system that would link addresses to phone numbers to automatically place calls to households and businesses in danger during emergencies and give recorded warnings and instructions. Emergency Management Dir. Edward von Turkovich told legislative oversight committee supervising project that too many technical obstacles existed to make system work on wide scale. He said his agency instead would work to improve existing methods for warning public of emergency alerts, such as by radio and TV broadcasts. Von Turkovich said small-scale versions of reverse 911 existed in state, such as systems in place around state’s prisons to warn neighbors if prisoners escaped. He said such systems worked within small geographic area and with limited types of emergencies, but attempts to scale up such systems to cover wide areas and wide range of emergencies all failed to meet tests of reliability, economy and ease of use. He said state hadn’t given up on idea, but would wait until technology further matured before pursuing it.

Members of House Telecom Subcommittee urged Defense Dept. and wireless industry Tues. to work out differences on 3rd generation wireless spectrum, although military top brass continued to raise red flags on relocation, reimbursement, timing. Verizon Wireless CEO Denny Strigl used hearing to call on Congress to weigh in on settlement solution for C-block spectrum returned by U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., to NextWave. On 3G front, Rep. Pickering (R-Miss.) said he planned to introduce bill “as soon as possible,” quipping that all spectrum was “on the table” except for bands occupied by MMDS and Instructional TV Fixed Services licensees. Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) said he foresaw markup in Oct. time frame, despite differences that appeared to be keeping cellular operators and Pentagon apart. While much of panel appeared to be interested in finding ways to use DoD-occupied spectrum at 1.7 GHz for mobile Internet applications, several members questioned impact on national security and continuing military operations. Rep. Harman (D- Cal.), addressing Pentagon “skepticism” about ability of military to move, said, “I would not agree that the right answer is ‘We just can’t.'” She said: “I would suggest that more attention needs to be paid to how to make that transition effective.” Nearly 3-hour hearing, first this year on 3G, also focused on Enhanced 911 progress and need for lifting spectrum cap.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has issued compilation of wireless phone legislation that state lawmakers have passed so far this year, including spate of measures directed at Enhanced 911 (E911) costs. Not counting bills that restrict cellphone use while driving, 20 states passed legislation covering other wireless issues, including new taxes. At least 9 governors have signed into law since Jan. legislative provisions on E911. Earlier this month, Alaska adopted bill that allows creation of E911 surcharges on wireless bills. For municipalities with populations of at least 100,000, E911 surcharge can’t exceed 50 cents per wireless phone number. For towns with fewer residents, surcharge can’t be greater than 75 cents per wireless phone. Ky., Md., Me., Miss., Neb., N.M. and Tenn. also passed E911-related legislation. Okla. bill, HB 1691, signed into law in April, allows county boards to submit question of 911 emergency wireless communication fee to voters. N.M. bill, HB 339, creates wireless E911 surcharge. In Miss., HB 469 establishes commercial mobile radio service board and requires wireless carriers to provide E911. Measure authorizes state highway patrol and local govts. that participated in wireless program to assess additional surcharge on drivers stopped for traffic violations. Surcharge can be used to pay for public safety wireless equipment. New Tenn. law directs state Dept. of Economic and Community Development to conduct study on wireless service in rural areas. Study must be completed by Feb. 15 and is to address costs of erecting additional towers to reach lower population areas. It also must evaluate feasibility of state and local govts.’ participating in construction of additional towers to improve wireless access of public safety agencies.

Congress can help new automatic auto crash notification (ACN) technology increase vehicle safety by encouraging research grants and by keeping effort free of regulation, ComCARE Alliance said Thurs. While Capitol Hill understands value of telematics -- application of voice and wireless technology to in-vehicle services -- “there is no government initiative to install telematics in automobiles,” ATX Technologies Pres. Steven Millstein said at media breakfast that started all-day “technology demonstration” in Rayburn Bldg. “Despite the lack of a mandate from Congress, safety is on the minds of the automakers, which are voluntarily rolling out automatic crash notification technology,” he said. Congress needs to understand importance of ACN and “allow it to flourish without any intervention,” he said. ComCARE is coalition of medical, 911, law enforcement and public safety groups; wireless carriers; automotive companies; telematics suppliers. Group said it seeks $5-10 million in federal grants to support R&D efforts for ACN technologies and protocols.

In continued exchange between public safety community and CTIA on thorny Enhanced 911 issues, CTIA Pres. Tom Wheeler wrote to 2 groups this week, elaborating on remaining challenges to implementation of Phase 2 before Oct. 1 deadline. Letter is follow-up to strongly worded July 2 missive by CTIA to Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and National Emergency Number Assn. (NENA), from which some wireless carriers had distanced themselves. Wheeler wrote July 17 to NENA and APCO that he wants to “continue our dialogue” on joint E911 challenges. “The purpose of my previous letter was to inquire of your organizations how you intend to establish equivalent deliverable expectations for your members,” Wheeler wrote. Wheeler cited assertion by groups that public safety answering points (PSAPs) not ready to roll out Phase 2 of E911 today will be ready within 6 months after they submit Phase 2 request to particular wireless carrier. “With all due respect, that is exactly the heart of the problem I was trying to raise in my earlier correspondence,” Wheeler said. “With carrier-enabled handsets or networks available, consumers will expect location capability whether or not a particular PSAP has determined it wants to make a Phase 2 request.” Wheeler said wireless carriers will know whether they buy E911-capable handset or have local wireless network that supports this location-specific capability. “The only way they will have equivalent knowledge that the information being transmitted can be used for their safety is for all of America’s PSAPs to step up and commit to a parallel implementation schedule,” Wheeler said. He noted that “major problems” still must be worked out concerning Phase One capabilities for E911. “Since Phase One is a technical precursor to Phase 2, should not those problems get worked out before Phase 2 makes things even more difficult,” Wheeler asked in detailed 7-page letter. Wheeler said that point of his previous correspondence was to seek similar commitment by PSAPs to deal with these issues in manner in which solutions are binding on every PSAP. Structure is needed, for example, on whether location-specific information will be processed by PSAPs using SS-7 protocol or IP format, Wheeler said. “The regulatory process is imposing uniform requirements on wireless carriers, what will be the equivalent solution for your members,” Wheeler said.

FCC Wireless Bureau turned down request by Cingular Wireless that certain materials in its waiver request for Phase 2 of Enhanced 911 be kept confidential. Cingular sought confidential treatment for its Phase 2 trial results, deployment timeline for network-based Phase 2 location technologies and deployment cost estimates. Bureau said Cingular hadn’t met procedural requirements for requesting confidentiality. “Even if the materials could be deemed confidential, however, we find that the public interest requires that these materials be made available for public inspection,” bureau said in order released Tues.

FCC Wireless Bureau asked for comment on PCS One request for waiver of Enhanced 911 (E911) Phase 2 deadline. Waiver request filed June 20 proposed that carrier deploy hybrid system using network software solution and handset-based technology called Enhanced Observed Time Difference of Arrival for its GSM networks. Like several carriers with E911 waiver requests pending, PCS One petition mirrored earlier VoiceStream request that was granted by Commission Sept. 8. PCS One serves eastern Pa. and is owned equally by Voicestream and D&E Communications, 2 companies that have several cooperative arrangements and are integrated technically, PCS One said. It said geographic proximity of PCS One network to VoiceStream systems using same technology and technical integration of systems on regional basis were reasons FCC should grant waiver subject to same conditions as VoiceStream. Comments are due July 26, replies Aug. 6.

FCC Wireless Bureau asked comment on request for waiver of Enhanced 911 Phase 2 deadline by Corr Wireless Communications, which is among several carriers with waiver petitions pending. Corr is seeking temporary waiver of FCC Phase 2 rules to allow it to deploy network solution on graduated implementation timeline. Corr said FCC’s 6-month implementation deadline for network-based solutions had been triggered by public safety answering point request in its service area. Corr, rural carrier with fewer than 21,000 subscribers, said network solution was expensive and graduated implementation was needed to ease economic burden. Corr told FCC it wouldn’t have revenue to cover high costs of implementing network solution and that its customer base was too small to raise rates to cover those costs. Corr proposed it immediately install switch-related infrastructure needed for Phase 2 and provide service to top 35% of cell sites of any requesting PSAP within 9 months of receiving request. Comments are due July 26, replies Aug. 6.

In update to FCC on its Enhanced 911 Phase 2 progress, VoiceStream said it planned to deploy Ericsson network equipment for Enhanced Observed Time Difference (EOTD) of Arrival handsets in Washington in Dec. VoiceStream said it planned to take commercial shipments of 2 EOTD handsets by Oct. 1 “However, VoiceStream will only be able to deploy its EOTD solution in a limited fashion this year,” company told FCC last week in ex parte filing. “This is due primarily to delays in the provision of EOTD network equipment by Nortel and Ericsson.” Deployment of Nokia network equipment will start in Oct. in Houston, and Nortel equipment rollout will commence in Denco, Tex., around same time. VoiceStream last fall received conditional waiver from FCC for Phase 2 of E911 (CD Sept 11 p1). Among conditions, VoiceStream must deploy network solution providing baseline location information accuracy of 1,000 m for 67% of all calls by Dec. 31, 2001. Handset solution can be deployed along later timeline, with 100% compliance of all sets sold by March 31, 2002. Network solution is on track for deployment at end of 2001 at those accuracy levels “or better,” VoiceStream said. Company attached recent letters from equipment carriers indicating all elements of their Phase 2 solution weren’t expected to be ready by Oct. 1 deadline for Phase 2. “Despite diligent development efforts, the earliest potential compliance deadline of Oct. 1, 2001, unfortunately will not permit Nortel Networks to make the entire tested, deployable core wireless technology [for Phase 2] available at that time,” Nortel said in letter to VoiceStream.

Location-based technology for wireless handsets isn’t likely to be widespread for consumers until 2002, despite FCC deadline of Oct. for Phase 2 of Enhanced 911, Cahners In-Stat Group said. Research firm estimated revenue of location-based wireless services could grow to more than $13 billion in 2005 from current $37 million. It also projected cost of deploying such technology could range from “hundreds of millions” to more than $1 billion. Several carriers, including AT&T Wireless, Cingular and Nextel, have waiver petitions for Phase 2 of E911 pending before Commission.