Subject: [NEXTEL-1] FCC waives 911 rules for OnStar until 2006

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:08:28 -0400

FCC waives 911 rules for OnStar until 2006
By Heather Forsgren Weaver
October 23 12:32:00, 2003

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission Tuesday said that OnStar Corp.’s
ancillary voice calling service is a mobile phone and is subject to the FCC’s
wireless enhanced 911 rules. But the commission then waived the rules until 2006.

“We agree with OnStar that the timing of the introduction of its digital units and
the technical problems it faces in making its telematics units fully Phase II
compliant for its commercial mobile-phone service calling offering raises
compliance problems for its underlying carrier partners. Therefore, we conclude in
this instance that a waiver of the E911 Phase II equipment activation rules to
exempt OnStar analog and first-generation telematics units for a limited period is
an appropriate relief,” said the FCC. “We grant wireless carriers a waiver of the
commission’s E911 Phase II rules, including the particular equipment activation
requirements with regard to the OnStar telematics until Dec. 31, 2005. We also
emphasize that the waiver applies only to OnStar telematics units that have the
capability to enable OnStar’s optional wireless calling services.”

Last December, OnStar asked the FCC to find its ancillary calling service exempt
from the E911 rules especially because its carrier partners were concerned that
OnStar units could wreck havoc with their deployment and activation requirements,
which have been set out both by rule and consent decree.
E911 service is being deployed in two phases.

Phase I required carriers to supply public-safety answering points with a callback
number and cell-site location information. The deadline was April 1, 1998.

Phase II requires more precise location information. It was supposed to be
available in some areas by Oct. 1, 2001, but the FCC waived that requirement,
giving each nationwide carrier a different implementation schedule with all
carriers and all markets deployed by 2006. For Phase II, carriers have two choices
with different accuracy requirements.  Handset-based solutions must be able to
locate the caller within 50 meters 67 percent of the time and within 150 meters 95
percent of the time. Network-based solutions must be able to locate the caller
within 100 meters 67 percent of the time and within 300 meters 95 percent of the
time.

OnStar was pleased with the decision. “We believe the FCC arrived at a balanced
decision regarding this short-term issue. We look forward to working with them on
long-term requirements for telematics systems,” said OnStar.
http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15621

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