Rural wireless carriers ask for E911 extension

The Rural Telecommunications Group (RTG) has filed a petition with the FCC that seeks additional time for rural wireless carriers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers to meet the commission’s E911 Phase II requirements. The relief would apply to carriers that have chosen handset- and network-based solutions and would vary according to a particular carrier’s situation. For example, triangulation with standard cellular antenna configurations can be achieved only with a minimum of three cell sites, but some RTG members only have one or two sites, said the trade group. Moreover, some believe that no meaningful location information can be obtained from a single cell site. In addition, RTG has asked for more time for carriers with low tower density, a ratio affecting triangulation that is based on the distance between towers.