This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a new framework to facilitate the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911). This initiative aims to establish comprehensive rules and guidelines for the nationwide deployment of NG911, enhancing emergency response capabilities nationwide.
More than 200 million people needing emergency assistance call 9-1-1 annually in the United States. The calls travel on dedicated 9-1-1 networks to reach a specialist who can dispatch aid.
State and local 9-1-1 authorities are now transitioning to NG911 by replacing legacy circuit-switched 9-1-1 networks with Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks and applications that will support new 9-1-1 capabilities, including text, video, and data, as well as improved interoperability and system resilience.
The new FCC rules will require phone and internet companies to deploy NG911 core services networks within six to 12 months of getting a request from a local 9-1-1 center.
As previously reported on Conduit Street, the Commission to Advance Next Generation 9-1-1 across Maryland, a 2018 MACo Legislative Initiative, was established to update state laws and the 9-1-1 financing system to provide the flexibility and resources needed to deploy a statewide NG911 system. In 2019, the General Assembly passed landmark legislation to update state laws and the 9-1-1 financing system to provide the flexibility and resources needed to deploy a statewide NG911 system.
The Commission, chaired by Senator Cheryl Kagan, included 9-1-1 directors, technology and telecommunications industry representatives, cybersecurity professionals, a bipartisan group of legislators, and other stakeholders to assure a smooth and equitable transition to NG911. As a result of the Commission’s work, Maryland passed several laws to bolster the framework and resources to guide a successful statewide transition to NG911, enhancing public safety communications in Maryland.
