[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR20.18]

[Page 16-19]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
                    CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
                         COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 20--COMMERCIAL MOBILE RADIO SERVICES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 20.18  911 Service.

    (a) Scope of section. The following requirements are only applicable 
to Broadband Personal Communications Services (part 24, subpart E of 
this chapter), Cellular Radio Telephone Service (part 22, subpart H of 
this chapter), and Geographic Area Specialized Mobile Radio Services and 
Incumbent Wide Area SMR Licensees in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands 
(included in part 90, subpart S of this chapter). In addition, service 
providers in these enumerated services are subject to the following 
requirements solely to the extent that they offer real-time, two way 
switched voice service that is interconnected with the public switched 
network and utilize an in-network switching facility which enables the 
provider to reuse frequencies and accomplish seamless hand-offs of 
subscriber calls.
    (b) Basic 911 Service. Licensees subject to this section must 
transmit all wireless 911 calls without respect to their call validation 
process to a Public Safety Answering Point, or, where no Public Safety 
Answering Point has been designated, to a designated statewide default 
answering point or appropriate local emergency authority pursuant to 
Sec. 64.3001 of this chapter, provided that ``all wireless 911 calls'' 
is defined as ``any call initiated by a wireless user dialing 911 on a 
phone using a compliant radio frequency protocol of the serving 
carrier.''
    (c) TTY Access to 911 Services. Licensees subject to this section 
must be capable of transmitting 911 calls from individuals with speech 
or hearing disabilities through means other than mobile radio handsets, 
e.g., through the use of Text Telephone Devices (TTY).

    Note to Paragraph (c):
    Operators of digital wireless systems must begin complying with the 
provisions of this paragraph on or before June 30, 2002.

    (d) Phase I enhanced 911 services. (1) As of April 1, 1998, or 
within six months of a request by the designated Public Safety Answering 
Point as set forth in paragraph (j) of this section, whichever is later, 
licensees subject to this section must provide the telephone number of 
the originator of a 911 call and the location of the cell site or base 
station receiving a 911 call from any mobile handset accessing their 
systems to the designated Public Safety Answering Point through the use 
of ANI and Pseudo-ANI.
    (2) When the directory number of the handset used to originate a 911 
call is not available to the serving carrier, such carrier's obligations 
under the paragraph (d)(1) of this section extend only to delivering 911 
calls and available call party information, including that prescribed in 
paragraph (l) of this section, to the designated Public Safety Answering 
Point.

    Note to paragraph (d):
    With respect to 911 calls accessing their systems through the use of 
TTYs, licensees subject to this section must comply with the 
requirements in paragraphs (d)(1) and (d)(2) of this section, as to 
calls made using a digital wireless system, as of October 1, 1998.

    (e) Phase II enhanced 911 service. Licensees subject to this section 
must provide to the designated Public Safety Answering Point Phase II 
enhanced 911 service, i.e., the location of all 911 calls by longitude 
and latitude in conformance with Phase II accuracy requirements (see 
paragraph (h) of this section).
    (f) Phase-in for network-based location technologies. Licensees 
subject to this section who employ a network-based location technology 
shall provide Phase II 911 enhanced service to at least 50 percent of 
their coverage area or 50 percent of their population beginning October 
1, 2001, or within 6 months of a PSAP request, whichever is later; and 
to 100 percent of their coverage area or 100 percent of their population 
within 18 months of such a request or by October 1, 2002, whichever is 
later.
    (g) Phase-in for handset-based location technologies. Licensees 
subject to this section who employ a handset-based location technology 
may phase in deployment of Phase II enhanced 911 service, subject to the 
following requirements:
    (1) Without respect to any PSAP request for deployment of Phase II 
911 enhanced service, the licensee shall:
    (i) Begin selling and activating location-capable handsets no later 
than October 1, 2001;

[[Page 17]]

    (ii) Ensure that at least 25 percent of all new handsets activated 
are location-capable no later than December 31, 2001;
    (iii) Ensure that at least 50 percent of all new handsets activated 
are location-capable no later than June 30, 2002; and
    (iv) Ensure that 100 percent of all new digital handsets activated 
are location-capable no later than December 31, 2002, and thereafter.
    (v) By December 31, 2005, achieve 95 percent penetration of 
location-capable handsets among its subscribers.
    (2) Once a PSAP request is received, the licensee shall, in the area 
served by the PSAP, within six months or by October 1, 2001, whichever 
is later:
    (i) Install any hardware and/or software in the CMRS network and/or 
other fixed infrastructure, as needed, to enable the provision of Phase 
II enhanced 911 service; and
    (ii) Begin delivering Phase II enhanced 911 service to the PSAP.
    (3) For all 911 calls from portable or mobile phones that do not 
contain the hardware and/or software needed to enable the licensee to 
provide Phase II enhanced 911 service, the licensee shall, after a PSAP 
request is received, support, in the area served by the PSAP, Phase I 
location for 911 calls or other available best practice method of 
providing the location of the portable or mobile phone to the PSAP.
    (4) Licensees employing handset-based location technologies shall 
ensure that location-capable portable or mobile phones shall conform to 
industry interoperability standards designed to enable the location of 
such phones by multiple licensees.
    (h) Phase II accuracy. Licensees subject to this section shall 
comply with the following standards for Phase II location accuracy and 
reliability:
    (1) For network-based technologies: 100 meters for 67 percent of 
calls, 300 meters for 95 percent of calls;
    (2) For handset-based technologies: 50 meters for 67 percent of 
calls, 150 meters for 95 percent of calls.
    (3) For the remaining 5 percent of calls, location attempts must be 
made and a location estimate for each call must be provided to the 
appropriate PSAP.
    (i) Reports on Phase II plans. Licensees subject to this section 
shall report to the Commission their plans for implementing Phase II 
enhanced 911 service, including the location-determination technology 
they plan to employ and the procedure they intend to use to verify 
conformance with the Phase II accuracy requirements by November 9, 2000. 
Licensees are required to update these plans within thirty days of the 
adoption of any change. These reports and updates may be filed 
electronically in a manner to be designated by the Commission.
    (j) Conditions for enhanced 911 services. (1) Generally. The 
requirements set forth in paragraphs (d) through (h) of this section 
shall be applicable only if the administrator of the designated Public 
Safety Answering Point has requested the services required under those 
paragraphs and the Public Safety Answering Point is capable of receiving 
and utilizing the data elements associated with the service and a 
mechanism for recovering the Public Safety Answering Point's costs of 
the enhanced 911 service is in place.
    (2) Commencement of six-month period. (i) Except as provided in 
paragraph (ii) of this section, for purposes of commencing the six-month 
period for carrier implementation specified in paragraphs (d), (f) and 
(g) of this section, a PSAP will be deemed capable of receiving and 
utilizing the data elements associated with the service requested, if it 
can demonstrate that it has:
    (A) Ordered the necessary equipment and has commitments from 
suppliers to have it installed and operational within such six-month 
period; and
    (B) Made a timely request to the appropriate local exchange carrier 
for the necessary trunking, upgrades, and other facilities.
    (ii) For purposes of commencing the six-month period for carrier 
implementation specified in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section, a 
PSAP that is Phase I-capable using a Non-Call Path Associated Signaling 
(NCAS) technology will be deemed capable of receiving and utilizing the 
data elements associated with Phase II service if it can demonstrate 
that it has made a timely request to the appropriate local exchange 
carrier for the ALI database

[[Page 18]]

upgrade necessary to receive the Phase II information.
    (3) Tolling of six-month period. Where a wireless carrier has served 
a written request for documentation on the PSAP within 15 days of 
receiving the PSAP's request for Phase I or Phase II enhanced 911 
service, and the PSAP fails to respond to such request within 15 days of 
such service, the six-month period for carrier implementation specified 
in paragraphs (d), (f), and (g) of this section will be tolled until the 
PSAP provides the carrier with such documentation.
    (4) Carrier certification regarding PSAP readiness issues. At the 
end of the six-month period for carrier implementation specified in 
paragraphs (d), (f) and (g) of this section, a wireless carrier that 
believes that the PSAP is not capable of receiving and utilizing the 
data elements associated with the service requested may file a 
certification with the Commission. Upon filing and service of such 
certification, the carrier may suspend further implementation efforts, 
except as provided in paragraph (j)(4)(x) of this section.
    (i) As a prerequisite to filing such certification, no later than 21 
days prior to such filing, the wireless carrier must notify the affected 
PSAP, in writing, of its intent to file such certification. Any response 
that the carrier receives from the PSAP must be included with the 
carrier's certification filing.
    (ii) The certification process shall be subject to the procedural 
requirements set forth in sections 1.45 and 1.47 of this chapter.
    (iii) The certification must be in the form of an affidavit signed 
by a director or officer of the carrier, documenting:
    (A) The basis for the carrier's determination that the PSAP will not 
be ready;
    (B) Each of the specific steps the carrier has taken to provide the 
E911 service requested;
    (C) The reasons why further implementation efforts cannot be made 
until the PSAP becomes capable of receiving and utilizing the data 
elements associated with the E911 service requested; and
    (D) The specific steps that remain to be completed by the wireless 
carrier and, to the extent known, the PSAP or other parties before the 
carrier can provide the E911 service requested.
    (iv) All affidavits must be correct. The carrier must ensure that 
its affidavit is correct, and the certifying director or officer has the 
duty to personally determine that the affidavit is correct.
    (v) A carrier may not engage in a practice of filing inadequate or 
incomplete certifications for the purpose of delaying its 
responsibilities.
    (vi) To be eligible to make a certification, the wireless carrier 
must have completed all necessary steps toward E911 implementation that 
are not dependent on PSAP readiness.
    (vii) A copy of the certification must be served on the PSAP in 
accordance with Sec. 1.47 of this chapter. The PSAP may challenge in 
writing the accuracy of the carrier's certification and shall serve a 
copy of such challenge on the carrier. See Secs. 1.45 and 1.47 and 
Secs. 1.720 through 1.736 of this chapter.
    (viii) If a wireless carrier's certification is facially inadequate, 
the six-month implementation period specified in paragraphs (d), (f) and 
(g) of this section will not be suspended as provided for in paragraph 
(j)(4) of this section.
    (ix) If a wireless carrier's certification is inaccurate, the 
wireless carrier will be liable for noncompliance as if the 
certification had not been filed.
    (x) A carrier that files a certification under paragraph (j)(4) of 
this section shall have 90 days from receipt of the PSAP's written 
notice that it is capable of receiving and utilizing the data elements 
associated with the service requested to provide such service in 
accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (d) through (h) of this 
section.
    (5) Modification of deadlines by agreement. Nothing in this section 
shall prevent Public Safety Answering Points and carriers from 
establishing, by mutual consent, deadlines different from those imposed 
for carrier and PSAP compliance in paragraphs (d), (f), and (g)(2) of 
this section.
    (k) Dispatch service. A service provider covered by this section who 
offers dispatch service to customers may

[[Page 19]]

meet the requirements of this section with respect to customers who 
utilize dispatch service either by complying with the requirements set 
forth in paragraphs (b) through (e) of this section, or by routing the 
customer's emergency calls through a dispatcher. If the service provider 
chooses the latter alternative, it must make every reasonable effort to 
explicitly notify its current and potential dispatch customers and their 
users that they are not able to directly reach a PSAP by calling 911 and 
that, in the event of an emergency, the dispatcher should be contacted.
    (l) Non-service-initialized handsets. (1) Licensees subject to this 
section that donate a non-service-initialized handset for purposes of 
providing access to 911 services are required to:
    (i) Program 123-456-7890 as the telephone number/mobile 
identification number into each handset;
    (ii) Affix to each handset a label which is designed to withstand 
the length of service expected for a non-service-initialized phone, and 
which notifies the user that the handset can only be used to dial 911, 
that the 911 operator will not be able to call the user back, and that 
the user should convey the exact location of the emergency as soon as 
possible; and
    (iii) Institute a public education program to provide the users of 
such handsets with information regarding the limitations of non-service-
initialized handsets.
    (2) Manufacturers of 911-only handsets that are manufactured on or 
after October 1, 2002, are required to:
    (i) Program each handset with 123-456-7890 as its telephone number/
mobile identification number;
    (ii) Affix to each handset a label which is designed to withstand 
the length of service expected for a non-service-initialized phone, and 
which notifies the user that the handset can only be used to dial 911, 
that the 911 operator will not be able to call the user back, and that 
the user should convey the exact location of the emergency as soon as 
possible; and
    (iii) Institute a public education program to provide the users of 
such handsets with information regarding the limitations of 911-only 
handsets.
    (3) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of 
this paragraph.
    (i) Non-service-initialized handset. A handset for which there is no 
valid service contract with a provider of the services enumerated in 
paragraph (a) of this section.
    (ii) 911-only handset. A non-service-initialized handset that is 
manufactured with the capability of dialing 911 only and that cannot 
receive incoming calls.

[63 FR 2637, Jan. 16, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 60130, Nov. 4, 1999; 64 
FR 72956, Dec. 29, 1999; 65 FR 58661, Oct. 2, 2000; 65 FR 82295, Dec. 
28, 2000; 66 FR 55623, Nov. 2, 2001; 67 FR 1648, Jan. 14, 2002; 67 FR 
36117, May 23, 2002; 68 FR 2918, Jan. 22, 2003]

    Effective Date Notes: 1. At 67 FR 36117, May 23, 2002, Sec. 20.18, 
paragraph (l) was added, effective Oct. 1, 2002. At 67 FR 63851, Oct. 
16, 2002, Sec. 20.18, paragraphs (l)(1)(i) and (l)(2)(i) were stayed 
indefinitely.
    2. At 68 FR 2918, Jan. 22, 2003, Sec. 20.18, paragraph (j) was 
revised. Paragraphs (j)(4) and (5) contain information collection and 
recordkeeping requirements and will not become effective until approval 
has been given by the Office of Management and Budget.