A new proposal from the FCC could dramatically improve how accurately 911 services can pinpoint your exact location during an emergency.
At a glance:
- FCC proposes new regulations requiring wireless providers to provide more precise location data for 911 calls
- Current vertical location technology doesn’t adequately help first responders locate callers in multi-story buildings
- Proposal would shift to Height Above Ground Level measurements for more actionable information
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is championing the initiative to save lives
- New standards would require testing across urban, suburban and rural environments
FCC Takes Aim at Life-Saving Location Accuracy
The Federal Communications Commission has unveiled a major new proposal that could revolutionize how emergency responders locate 911 callers, especially in multi-story buildings where current technology falls short. This common-sense regulation aims to provide first responders with the precise horizontal and vertical location data needed to reach Americans in life-threatening situations.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is spearheading the effort to ensure that when Americans call 911, help can find them quickly and accurately.
Practical Solutions for Real-World Emergencies
The proposed regulations would require wireless service providers to measure vertical information in Height Above Ground Level (AGL) instead of the current Height Above Ellipsoid (HAE) standard. This technical change would give emergency responders actionable information about which floor of a building a caller is located on, rather than abstract measurements that don’t translate to real-world locations.
“This is a critical issue – when you call 911, seconds count, and knowing not just the building someone is in but the exact floor can make the difference between life and death,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr in a statement. “Our proposal builds on previous FCC efforts to make location accuracy even more precise and useful for first responders.”
The proposal also requires the industry test bed to validate vertical information technologies across various environments including dense urban, urban, suburban, and rural areas. Previous standards allowed for averaging performance across environments, potentially masking poor performance in certain settings where Americans might need emergency help.
Expanding Access and Accountability
Under the new proposal, non-nationwide wireless providers and major public safety organizations would gain broader access to test bed data, increasing transparency across the emergency response system. The FCC is also seeking comments on improving dispatchable location data, horizontal location accuracy, and location accuracy for text-to-911 services as part of a comprehensive upgrade to emergency response systems.
Public safety authorities would also be granted the power to challenge test bed validations, ensuring that the technology works in real-world situations.
And while it sounds good in practice, several questions need to be asked – including how we protect our personal data from tools that are seemingly capable of finding out where we are at any time.
