The FCC has announced the deadlines for filing comments in response to its E911 Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which proposes mobile wireless carriers meet indoor location accuracy requirements within as little as two years. Comments are due on or before May 12, 2014, and reply comments are due on or before June 11, 2014. Pursuant to the proposals in the Further Notice, carriers would be required to provide “horizontal” indoor accuracy that locates callers within 50 meters for 67% of calls within two years of the rules being adopted and 80% of calls within five years. Carriers would be required to provide “vertical” (i.e., floor level) indoor accuracy that locates callers within three meters for 67% of calls within three years and 80% of calls within five years. The Further Notice also proposes additional steps to strengthen the FCC’s existing E911 rules, including setting a maximum period for time to “first fix,” and seeks comment on whether to accelerate the FCC’s timetable for replacing its current handset and network-based location accuracy standards with a single standard.
