80 FR 45897 - Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 148 (August 3, 2015)

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection associated with the Commission's Fourth Report and Order that adopted rules requiring Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers to conform with tightened wireless E911 location accuracy requirements. This document is consistent with the Fourth Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 148 (Monday, August 3, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45897-45898]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18734]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 20

[PS Docket No. 07-114; FCC 15-9]


Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection 
associated with the Commission's Fourth Report and Order that adopted 
rules requiring Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers to 
conform with tightened wireless E911 location accuracy requirements. 
This document is consistent with the Fourth Report and Order, which 
stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal 
Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

DATES: The amendments to 47 CFR 20.18(i)(2)(ii)(A) and (B); 
20.18(i)(2)(iii) and (iv); 20.18(i)(3)(i), (ii), and (iii); 
20.18(i)(4)(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv); 20.18(j)(2) and (3), published at 
80 FR 11806, March 4, 2015, are effective August 3, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy May, Policy and Licensing 
Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-
1463, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on July 20, 
2015, OMB approved the information collection requirements relating to 
the wireless E911 location accuracy rules contained in the Commission's 
Fourth Report and Order, FCC 15-9, published at 80 FR 11806 March 4, 
2015. The OMB Control Number is 3060-1210. The Commission publishes 
this document as an announcement of the effective date of the rules.
    If you have any comments on the burden estimates listed below, or 
how the Commission can improve the collections and reduce any burdens 
caused thereby, please contact Benish Shah, Federal Communications 
Commission, Room 1-A866, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. 
Please include the OMB Control Number, 3060-1210, in your 
correspondence. The Commission will also accept your comments via email 
at [email protected]. To request materials in accessible formats for people 
with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio 
format), send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 
(TTY).

Synopsis

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507), the FCC is notifying the public that it received OMB approval on 
July 20, 2015, for the information collection requirements contained in 
the modifications to the Commission's rules in 47 CFR part 20. Under 5 
CFR 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a current, valid OMB Control Number. No 
person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a 
collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act that 
does not display a current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control 
Number is 3060-1210. The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, and 44 
U.S.C. 3507.
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1210.
    OMB Approval Date: July 20, 2015.
    OMB Expiration Date: July 31, 2018.
    Title: Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit institutions; and 
state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 4,394 respondents; 29,028 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1--100 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirements, and third-party 
disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory and voluntary. Statutory authority 
for this information collection is contained in 47. U.S.C. 1, 2, 4(i), 
7, 10, 201, 214, 222, 251(e), 301, 302, 303, 303(b), 303(r), 307, 
307(a), 309, 309(j)(3), 316, 316(a), and 332 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 143,138 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission will work with 
respondents to ensure that their concerns regarding the confidentiality 
of any proprietary or business-sensitive information are resolved in a 
manner consistent with the Commission's rules.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: This information collection does not 
affect individuals or households, and therefore a privacy impact 
assessment is not required.
    Needs and Uses: Section 20.18(i)(2)(ii)(A) rule requires that, 
within three years of the effective date of rules, CMRS providers shall 
deliver to uncompensated barometric pressure data from any device 
capable of delivering such data to PSAPs. This requirement is necessary 
to ensure that PSAPs are receiving all location information possible to 
be used for dispatch. This requirement is also necessary to ensure that 
CMRS providers implement a vertical location solution in the event that 
the proposed ``dispatchable location'' solution does not function as 
intended by the three-year mark and beyond.
    Section 20.18(i)(2)(ii)(B) requires that the four nationwide 
providers submit to the Commission for review and approval a reasonable 
metric for z-axis (vertical) location accuracy no later than 3 years 
from the effective date of rules. The requirement is critical to ensure 
that the vertical location framework adopted in the Fourth Report and 
Order is effectively implemented.
    Section 20.18(i)(2)(iii) requires CMRS providers to certify 
compliance with the Commission's rules at various benchmarks throughout 
implementation of improved location accuracy. This requirement is 
necessary to ensure that CMRS providers remain ``on track'' to reach 
the goals that they themselves agreed to.
    Section 20.18(i)(2)(iv) provides that PSAPs may seek Commission 
enforcement of the location accuracy requirements within their 
geographic service area, as long as they have implemented policies that 
are designed to obtain all location information made available by CMRS 
providers when initiating and delivering 911 calls to the PSAP, and, 
prior to seeking Commission enforcement, a PSAP must provide the CMRS 
provider with 30 days written notice, and the CMRS provider shall have 
an opportunity to address the issue informally.
    Section 20.18(i)(3)(i) requires that within 12 months of the 
effective date, the four nationwide CMRS providers must establish the 
test bed described in the Fourth Report and Order, which will validate 
technologies intended for

[[Page 45898]]

indoor location, The test bed is necessary for the compliance 
certification framework adopted in the Fourth Report and Order.
    Section 20.18(i)(3)(ii) requires that beginning 18 months from 
effective date of rules, nationwide CMRS providers providing service in 
any of the six Test Cities identified by ATIS (Atlanta, Denver/Front 
Range, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Manhattan Borough of 
New York City) must collect and report aggregate data on the location 
technologies used for live 911 calls. This reporting requirement is 
necessary to validate and verify the compliance certifications made by 
CMRS providers.
    Section 20.18(i)(3)(iii) requires that CMRS providers shall retain 
testing and live call data gathered pursuant to this section for a 
period of 2 years.
    Section 20.18(i)(4)(i) and (ii) require that no later than 18 
months from the effective date, each CMRS provider shall submit to the 
Commission its plan for implementing improved indoor location accuracy 
and a report on its progress toward doing so. Non-nationwide CMRS 
providers will have an additional 6 months to submit their progress 
reports. All CMRS providers shall provide an additional progress report 
no later than 36 months from the effective date of the adoption of this 
rule. The 36-month reports shall indicate what progress the provider 
has made consistent with its implementation plan.
    Section 20.18(i)(4)(iii) requires that prior to activation of the 
NEAD but no later than 18 months from the effective date of the 
adoption of this rule, the nationwide CMRS providers shall file with 
the Commission and request approval for a security and privacy plan for 
the administration and operation of the NEAD. This requirement is 
necessary to ensure that the four nationwide CMRS providers are 
building in privacy and security measures to the NEAD from its 
inception.
    Section 20.18(i)(4)(iv) requires that before use of the NEAD or any 
information contained therein, CMRS providers must certify that they 
will not use the NEAD or associated data for any non-911 purpose, 
except as otherwise required by law. This requirement is necessary to 
ensure the privacy and security of any personally identifiable 
information that may be collected by the NEAD.
    Section 20.18(j) requires CMRS providers to provide standardized 
confidence and uncertainty (C/U) data for all wireless 911 calls, 
whether from outdoor or indoor locations, on a per-call basis upon the 
request of a PSAP. This requirement will serve to make the use of C/U 
data easier for PSAPs
    Section 20.18(k) requires that CMRS providers must record 
information on all live 911 calls, including, but not limited to, the 
positioning source method used to provide a location fix associated 
with the call, as well as confidence and uncertainty data. This 
information must be made available to PSAPs upon request, as a measure 
to promote transparency and accountability for this set of rules.

Federal Communications Commission.
Sheryl D. Todd,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-18734 Filed 7-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P