Executive Summary
During NENA's four-year project for the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), the availability of wireless E9-1-1 has increased substantially. From a handful of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) basically serving as trial sites in late 2001/early 2002, Phase II (delivery of caller's location) is now available to almost 75% of the U.S. population. Or, placing it in another perspective, in 2001 there likely were no more than hundreds of wireless 9-1-1 calls with caller location, while in 2006 there will be 40 to 60 million wireless calls with caller location provided1.
This NENA DOT project has significantly contributed to this major expansion in enhanced emergency services access for the public, while also insuring that such access worked correctly as the wireless industry underwent extensive changes.
From the 2003 wireless implementation videos, targeted to PSAPs, legislative officials, wireless providers and the public, to the 2004-05 standards and other documents developed to simplify and hasten Phase I and II implementations, the NENA DOT project covered various key areas essential to successful implementations.
With developed materials important to implementation combined with its partnership approach of working with the various segments essential to success, NENA staff, leadership and other very active members presented at national, regional and state conferences, hosted implementation-specific regional gatherings and in other more one-on-one approaches, conveyed assisting messages to implementation planners across the country.
While the Wireless Deployment Profile (WDP) helped track areas needing special assistance, it also provided up-to-date ongoing statistics showing successes. It continues to be used by federal, state and local leaders, along with other public and private entities, to check current status regarding Phase I and II deployment.
Simultaneously with the wireless E9-1-1 rollout across the U.S., the wireless industry was involved in extensive technology changes along with digital text telephone (TTY) government-mandated 9-1-1 access hardware/software upgrades and implementation, mergers/buyouts (national providers reduced from six to four, along with regional mergers also), Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) requirements, spectrum auctions, growth in consumer use of wireless data devices, and certainly not least, wireless number portability and pooling.
Using project resources, NENA was able to participate, and serve as lead where appropriate, across the necessary broad range of entities (telecommunications industry, federal government agencies, state/local government/emergency services authorities, 9-1-1 community, and many others) to not only advance wireless E9-1-1 implementations and access methods, but also eliminate or minimize any negative effects from the many other changes going on simultaneously within the telecommunications industry.
While the NENA DOT project has been a significant contribution to the widespread rollouts of both Phase I and II, along with ensuring that wireless 9-1-1 access continues correctly when major technical and operational changes have happened within the wireless industry, there remains work to do. More than 50% of the counties 2, in the U.S., predominately rural, remain without Phase II, and 25% remain without Phase I. Wireless industry technological and operational changes of significance continue, pointing to the ongoing need to continue ensuring correct 9-1-1 access. The sharply increasing general public use of wireless text devices3 and the significant value and use of such devices in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, demonstrate the need to substantially improve the existing 9-1-1 networks in use across the country.
Recent months have also shown escalating marketing among younger age groups (particularly 8-12 years of age) by a number of entities within the wireless industry and it is increasingly important that various educational processes be developed to be sure that youth's wireless 9-1-1 access when needed in emergencies, is dealt with appropriately.
During the remaining months of 2006, several additional Phase II implementations will occur. This ongoing process is greatly assisted by the various materials developed within the NENA DOT project combined with wide-spread industry-government partnership at various levels that was developed as a significant byproduct of this project. These two key elements are essential to timely success. What remains to be done to implement in those areas of country, mainly rural and economically-limited, is to deal with the challenging funding and political issues in a creative fashion.
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