911 Call-Forwarding Requirements for Non-Service-Initialized Phones

The Commission seeks comment on whether the obligation to transmit 911 calls from non-service-initialized (NSI) devices still serves an important public safety objective. Because the cumbersome call validation methods extant when the rules were adopted in the late 1990s are no longer in use, and because of the current ubiquity of low- cost options for wireless services, the Commission proposes to sunset the obligation to transmit 911 calls from an NSI device within six month, accompanied by consumer outreach and education. Public safety representatives have indicated that NSI devices are frequently used to make fraudulent or otherwise non-emergency calls, causing a significant waste of limited public safety resources.