The 911 emergency calling system got started in 1968 when AT&T established the digits 9-1-1 as a universal number to reach emergency services. In 1999, the industry started to tackle an upgrade labeled as enhanced 911 that integrated called ID, first for landlines and eventually using triangulation from cell sites.
By 2007, there was recognition that 911 could do a lot more, and next generation (NG 911) was created. NG 911 enables 911 callers and first responders to transmit text, photos, videos, and other data in real-time.
There is recognition today that 911 ought to be able to integrate IoT devices like home security cameras and wearables. There is work being done to introduce proactive incident detection and predictive analytics using AI to further assist first responders. There is also a recognition that 911 systems need better cybersecurity. The movement to introduce the latest technology is referred to as NGERS – next generation emergency response systems.
But before introducing the newest technologies, a lot of states still have a lot of work to do to implement NG 911. Maine, Tennessee, and Vermont implemented NG 911 in 2015, followed within a few years by Connecticut and Massachusetts.
A lot of states still have not completed the full transition to NG 911. The steps needed to implement include a lot of technology upgrades such as compliant call handling, computer-aided dispatch, and call recording systems. Work is also needed to align 911 with GIS data – and there are still many counties that have not converted property records to GIS. The number one issue cited by states that haven’t made the transition to NG 911 is funding. Many states have been hoping for more federal funding for the transition, which largely never was forthcoming. There was an effort to create federal legislation to promote the effort that never materialized.
Meanwhile, there was a federal effort through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and NTIA to create a framework where state 911 systems could be integrated into a national 911 grid. The effort of these two agencies seems to have slowed to nearly a stop since 2022.
One of the biggest challenges today is the introduction of new technologies that have changed to path needed to implement NG 911. It’s looking very likely that the big telcos will finally be abandoning the TDS-based public switched telephone network in favor of a digital SIP-based network. Technologies involving GIS and mapping have changed a lot in the last decade. It feels like trying to hit a moving target to complete an implementation of NG 911.
Another surprising roadblock is the number of 911 centers (PSAPs) in a given state. PSAPs have largely been funded and created locally, and that means that each 911 call center uses different hardware and software, making it hard to make any statewide updates.
Another missing part of the picture is the vendors that supply the systems to support 911. The technology that was used a decade ago is obsolete, and in many cases, there are no vendors rushing to do the R&D needed to develop the next generation of systems until there is a proven market to buy the new systems. In many ways, the rapid evolution of communications technologies has moved faster than the systems that incorporate them. One simple example is the recent announcement that satellite networks will be supporting cell phones to make 911 calls.
I think a lot of folks will be surprised that the conversion to NG 911 is still not close to complete, since industry press was full of success stories a decade ago.
While I am all for the best safety options available, I can’t help but wonder what backdoor this NGERS will create… access to home cameras or other security systems seems a little bit like an ambulance doing 90mph through downtown (risk everything to save a second). Is the call itself not enough?
I worked on PSAP connectivity in 2015, when most PSAPs used redundantly routed 56K circuits often routed through channel banks outside of large urban centers. I am skeptical that the transport has been completely replaced with Ethernet over fiber – for many of the reasons outlined in your blog. These high priority calls need to be moved off equipment that was manufacturer discontinued in the 1970s. Maybe it has been completed in the last 10 years – I hope so.
You are right. There are still a lot of T1s on the PSTN.
Collateral damage from the systemic failure to timely modernize telecom distribution network from copper to fiber by 2010 to most every doorstep.
fiber has it’s own flaws. most/all of fiber’s benefits come from long distance communications. ie, fewer booster huts, more capacity so fewer cables required, etc. For the last ‘mile’ it’s time consuming and expensive to repair. Last mile fiber outages last longer. comparisons to copper plants are fundamentally flawed in that they are comparing brand new fiber deployments to antique copper plants.
There’s really not much overlap between e911/ng911 and a push for fiber. ng911 can run reliably on any service that can transmit at the aggregate bitrate. Often a 20 year old DSL service is fine. Any DOCSIS3 or higher plant, any VDSL, anything that qualifies as broadband (100×25) at all is suitable.
Fiber is definitely key for long haul and middle mile where there’s some presumption of redundancies and alternate paths, but for last mile fiber is a higher liability than copper and offers little to nothing to the end user except the ‘feeling’ that they are elite ‘fiber’ users.