Archives | www.nena.org | February 5, 2014

NENA Applauds FCC Actions at Jan. 30 Open Meeting

NENA released the following statement after the FCC's January Open Meeting that addressed text-to-9-1-1 and IP-transition issues:

On behalf of thousands of 9-1-1 professionals across the US and the public we serve, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association expresses great appreciation of the FCC's twin actions to advance 9-1-1 technology. "By making sure that the preservation of public safety, including 9-1-1 access and network reliability, is a key requirement for any IP transition trials, the Commission has made clear that consumers will continue to have access to emergency services now and into the future, regardless of changes in network technology," said Trey Forgety, NENA's Director of Government Affairs. "This will help lay the foundation for a faster and more widespread deployment of critical Next Generation 9-1-1 services."

Forgety continued, "One such service was also advanced by the Commission today. Text-to-9-1-1 will initially be deployed as an extension of current E9-1-1 systems, but will ultimately be a core service of Next Generation 9-1-1 systems. To better serve individuals with hearing and speech disabilities, better protect victims of domestic violence and home invasions, and better connect with consumers when voice service is overloaded, text-to-9-1-1 must be made available as widely as possible and as soon as possible. That means carriers and PSAPs alike must move swiftly to bring this new capability to consumers, and today's action by the FCC will help to make that possible. NENA looks forward to working with the PSAP community to meet Chairman Wheeler's challenge to enable ubiquitous PSAP receipt of text messages."

National Emergency Number Association
Alexandria, VA
800.332.3911
P: 202.466.4911
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