Apr 29, 2002 12:00 PM

FCC moves to improve emergency services for non-initialized wireless phones

The FCC has adopted a report and order that takes further steps to improve the ability of public safety answering points (PSAPs) to respond “quickly and efficiently” to calls for emergency assistance made from non-service-initialized wireless phones.

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Such phones are not registered for service with any commercial mobile radio service carrier and as such lack a dialable telephone number that could be called back after an emergency call is placed. Examples of non-initialized wireless phones are 911-only phones as well as unsubscribed phones that are distributed via donation programs.

The FCC's report and order determined it is still technically infeasible to require carriers and manufacturers of 911-only phones to develop and implement technical solutions that would provide PSAPs with a callback number for calls from non-initialized phones. In addition, the report and order requires that non-initialized handsets donated through carrier-sponsored programs and newly manufactured 911-only phones be programmed with a generic code that would act as the unit's telephone number to alert a PSAP that the 911 call is being made from wireless phone lacking callback capability.

The report and order also requires that non-initialized phones be labeled to alert the user to the lack of callback capability and requires that public education programs be instituted by carriers and manufacturers to more fully inform users of the limitations of non-initialized phones.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said in a statement he was pleased the commission will conduct a separate proceeding on the issue of 911 compliance for the increasing number of nontraditional wireless services and products that consumers may use for emergency calls, including 911-only phones and disposable phones.

"I am particularly concerned with the problem of mistaken or frivolous 911 calls that cannot be identified because they originate from non-service-initialized phones," he said.

--Glenn Bischoff, Senior News Writer