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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
November 23, 2010 Jen Howard: 202-418-0506
[email protected] FCC CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES STEPS TO
BRING 9-1-1 INTO 21st CENTURY
Texting, Video Streaming, Data Sharing to 9-1-1 Envisioned For Consumers
Washington, D.C. -- At an event with public safety officials from Arlington County, Virginia today, FCC
Chairman Genachowski announced that the FCC will take steps to revolutionize America’s 9-1-1 system
by harnessing the life-saving potential of text, photo, and video in emergencies.
“9-1-1 is an indispensible, live-saving tool,” said FCC Chairman Genachowski. “But today’s 9-1-1
system doesn’t support the communication tools of tomorrow. Even though mobile phones are the device
of choice for most 9-1-1 callers, and we primarily use our phones to text, right now, you can’t text 9-1-1.
It’s time to bring 9-1-1 into the digital age.”
Background:
• The FCC’s National Broadband Plan laid out a vision for Next-Generation 9-1-1 that uses
cutting-edge technologies to help save lives. 9-1-1, which was established as the national
emergency number in 1968, has been a wildly successful lifeline to those in distress. Americans
place more than 237 million 9-1-1 calls every year -- 650,000 per day.
• Seventy percent of 9-1-1 calls come from mobile phones. But increasingly, consumers are
using their mobile phones less to make calls, and more for texting and sending pictures and
videos. These new technologies have the potential to revolutionize emergency response by
providing public safety officials with critical real-time, on-the-ground information.
• Today’s 9-1-1 system is not equipped to take advantage of new technologies. 9-1-1 call
centers lack the technical capability to receive texts, photos, videos, and other data. Many 9-1-1
call centers don’t have access to broadband, which makes it difficult to receive incoming data,
particularly in large volume. Finally, call center operators have not been trained how to
effectively communicate using these new technologies.
• The technological limitations of 9-1-1 can have tragic, real-world consequences. During the
2007 Virginia Tech campus shooting, students and witnesses desperately tried to send texts to 9-
1-1 that local dispatchers never received. If these messages had gone through, first responders
may have arrived on the scene faster with firsthand intelligence about the life-threatening
situation that was unfolding.
• Bringing 9-1-1 into the 21st century is one of the FCC’s key public safety priorities. Today,
FCC Chairman Genachowski announced that in December he will launch a proceeding, as
recommended in the National Broadband Plan, to get public input on how to transition the current
system to broadband-enabled, next-generation 9-1-1. This action builds on the FCC’s recent order
beefing up 9-1-1 location-accuracy requirements so that first responders can quickly find people
who reach out for help on their mobile phones.
Benefits of Next-Generation 9-1-1
• Text for Help: Many Americans, particularly those with disabilities, rely on texting as their
primary means of communication. In some emergency situations -- especially in circumstances
where a call could further jeopardize someone’s life and safety -- texting is the only way to reach
out for help. Next-Generation 9-1-1 would allow call centers to receive texts and put them to use.
• Real-Time Rapid Response: Mobile video and photos provide first responders with on-the-
ground information that helps them assess and address the emergency in real-time. These
technologies also help report crime as it is happening. Next-Generation 9-1-1 would expand the
multi-media capabilities of 9-1-1 call centers.
• Automatic Alerting: Next-Generation 9-1-1 would enable emergency calls to be placed by
devices, rather than human beings. Examples of such devices include environmental sensors
capable of detecting chemicals, highway cameras, security cameras, alarms, personal medical
devices, telematics, and consumer electronics in automobiles.
--FCC--
