The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Report and Order containing rules governing the level of 911 caller location accuracy that must be provided by wireless carriers for calls made from indoor locations. Although the text of the Report and Order has not yet been released, the controversial order reportedly contains elements of both the FCC’s original proposal set forth in its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and the “Roadmap” recently presented by the four nationwide wireless carriers and major public safety organizations. FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai characterized the new rules as “aggressive and achievable.” A staff presentation at the FCC’s January 29 open meeting indicated that wireless carriers will need to provide either “dispatchable location” or increasingly accurate horizontal and vertical location information over the course of a series of deadlines over the next eight years. Rural wireless carriers and other non-nationwide wireless carriers will have an extended implementation schedule.
