Enhanced 911 Act (E911)

Enhanced 911 Act (E911)
The E911 Act (the “E” stands for “Enhanced”), put forth by the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) in 1996 and signed into law in 1999, is designed to standardize and enhance 911 service
across mobile devices. Its goal is to improve emergency response time to 911 calls
made by cell-phone users. The Disabilities Issues Task Force of the FCC is making efforts
to ensure that hearing and speech-impaired people have access to 911 service through mobile
devices.
Although the E911 Act will surely improve safety, it raises concerns about users’ privacy.
Wireless technology and privacy issues are discussed in Chapter 7, Legal and Social
Issues; Web Accessibility.
M-Fact 3.1
According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), approximately
118,000 emergency calls are made using cell phones every day. [***“Recently Pinpointed:
Industry News from Around the Globe,” NEAR Volume 1 Issue 2: 49.***] 3.0
The first phase of the E911 Act requires all wireless cellular carriers to provide Automatic
Number Information (ANI)—the phone numbers of cell phones calling in 911 emergencies.
The carriers must also provide the locations of the cell sites (a cell site identifies a
particular tower’s area of coverage) receiving the 911 calls. Emergency technicians can use
this information to determine a user’s location, although to within the range of the nearest
tower. The second phase of the bill mandates that all mobile-phone carriers provide Automatic
Location Identification (ALI) of a caller within 125 meters, 67 percent of the time.
There are several benefits to the E911 Act. In many emergencies, drivers are not sure
of their exact locations. This new information can help emergency response teams accurately
locate callers, improving response times and hopefully saving lives and reducing the
consequences of injuries. In addition, if a call breaks up or the emergency operator cannot
understand the caller, emergency response teams can still locate the caller.[***S. A.
Pignone, “When Cell Phones Save Lives,” NEAR Volume 1 Issue 2: 11-14.***]
The E911 Act presents several obstacles to wireless communications providers. For
example, manufacturers need to know which standards will be used by wireless carriers
before developing new phones and significant infrastructure development will slow the
advancement of wireless technology, making it difficult for companies to meet the deadlines.
Companies that meet the deadline will likely set the standards for location-identification
technology. [***R. Driscoll, “Mandating Major Change,” Near: 30. ***]
For more information about the E911 Act, visit the FCC’s site at www.fcc.gov/
e911. For details about automatic location identification, visit www.fcc.gov/
Bureaus/Wireless/Public_Notices/2000/da002099.html.