The Federal Communications Commission has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on elimination of its rule that requires wireless carriers to transmit 911 calls from “non-service initialized” (NSI) devices to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). Because NSI devices have no associated name and address and do not provide Automatic Number Identification or call-back features, a PSAP typically cannot identify a 911 caller when the caller uses a NSI device. In light of changes to call validation methods and the availability of low-cost options for wireless services, as well as the prevalence of fraudulent calls placed through NSI devices, the FCC believes the time is right to sunset the NSI component of its rules after a six month transition period that will allow for public outreach and education. Comments will be due 30 days after the NPRM is published in the Federal Register.
