The FCC has announced a plan to update the technology that powering the 911 emergency response system.
The plan will accept text messages, voice calls, videos and photos, along with geographic location information. The FCC hopes that adopting the new technology will deliver quicker and more detailed information to emergency responders.
“It’s hard to imagine that airlines can send text messages if your flight is delayed, but you can’t send a text message to 911 in an emergency,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in an announcement. “The unfortunate truth is that the capability of our emergency response communications has not kept pace with commercial innovation — has not kept pace with what ordinary people now do every day with communications devices.”
According to the FCC the benefits of NG911 include:
o Increased public access: NG911 multi-media capabilities expand accessibility (e.g., to persons
with disabilities) and give all consumers more calling options in emergencies.
o Enhanced information for first responders: PSAPs receiving text, data, photos, and videos can
assess emergencies more quickly and respond more effectively.
o Increased reliability of NG911 networks: IP-based architecture provides more flexibility and
resiliency than the legacy circuit-switched 911 system.
Over the coming months the commission plans to develop automatic location systems, technical standards for the hardware and software, and a coordinated approach to NG911 governance as well as an NG911 funding model.