In 1996, FCC  responded to the rising number of mobile telephone subscribers and the  resulting increase in wireless 911 calls by adopting rules for wireless  E911 that established a two-phase implementation approach for the  wireless carriers and set deadlines for wireless carriers regarding their  part in E911 deployment.months of a request from a PSAP, wireless carriers be prepared to  provide the PSAP with the wireless phone number of the caller and the  location of the cell site receiving the 911 call (Phase I information); and  (2) by October 2001, or within 6 months of receiving a request from a  PSAP, wireless carriers be prepared to provide the PSAP with the  geographic coordinates of the caller’s location with greater precision,   FCC required that (1) by April 1998, or within 6  generally within 50 to 300 meters (Phase II information). States Have Made Significant Progress Implementing Wireless E911

Although states faced challenges and delays in the past, they have made  significant progress implementing wireless E911. According to NENA  data as of March 2013, 98 percent of PSAPs are capable of receiving  Phase I location information and 97 percent have implemented Phase II  for at least one wireless carrier. According to NENA data, 142 U.S. counties (representing roughly 3  percent of the U.S. population) do not have some level of wireless E911  service. According to federal and association officials, these areas are  primarily rural or tribal counties that face special challenges implementing  wireless E911 service. According to FCC’s Reporting, Some States Have Used 911 Funds for Other Purposes, but FCC’s Reporting Could Be More Useful

		State Methods for Collecting 911 Funds

As we reported in 2006, all 50 states and the District of Columbia  collect—or have authorized local entities to collect—funds for 911. However, six states— Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island—reported  using almost $77 million of funds collected for E911 implementation for  other purposes in 2011, as detailed below.funds for these purposes. Arizona also transferred 911 funds  to its general fund in 2009 and 2010. Specifically, in its approach, FCC  (1) uses only open-ended questions to solicit information from states, (2)  lacks written guidelines for interpreting states’ responses and ensuring  that results can be reproduced, and (3) does not describe the  methodology used to analyze the information in states’ reports. Moreover, in the National Broadband Plan, FCC  noted many of the existing state and federal regulations governing 911  were written before the technological capabilities of NG911 existed and   For example,  have therefore hampered the implementation of NG911.state, association, and industry officials have expressed concern about  uncertainty regarding liability protection related to NG911. FCC also released a 5- point plan, based on recommendations made in the National Broadband  Plan, to encourage NG911 implementation and to help states address  some of the technology, regulatory, and funding challenges to  implementation. Key elements of FCC’s 5-point plan include:
Develop location accuracy mechanisms for NG911. Enable consumers to send text, photos, and videos to PSAPs. Facilitate completing and implementing NG911 technical standards. Develop a governance framework for NG911. As required by the Next  Generation 911 Advancement Act of 2012, FCC released a report in  March 2013 with detailed recommendations to Congress to create a  new legal and regulatory framework for transitioning from legacy 911  to NG911 networks. Develop a funding model for NG911. The report provided 24 specific  recommendations to Congress and others, such as state and local public  safety authorities, to address the challenges of implementing NG911. Furthermore, FCC is  missing an opportunity to provide more detailed aggregated information in  its reports—such as amounts of fees, services covered, and total amount  of funds collected—that would be helpful to decision makers. Recommendation for Executive Action

We recommend that the Chairman of FCC follow best practices for data  collection and analysis to improve FCC’s current method of collecting and  reporting information on states’ use of 911 funds, by, for example, using  closed-ended questions when possible, developing written internal  guidance for analyzing data, and fully describing the methodology for its  report. In response, FCC concurred with our recommendation to  improve its current method of collecting and reporting information on  states’ use of 911 funds. This report presents  information on (1) the progress that has been made in implementing  wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) in the last decade, (2) the extent to which  states are collecting and using 911 funds for 911 purposes and the  usefulness of FCC’s reporting about this issue, and (3) challenges to  implementing NG911 services and federal efforts to facilitate its  deployment. We interviewed officials from the Federal  Communications Commission (FCC) regarding states’ collection and use  of E911 funds and the progress made in deploying wireless E911 and  NG911 throughout the country. To determine the extent to which states are  collecting and using E911 revenues for E911 purposes and the  usefulness of FCC’s reporting about this issue, we obtained FCC’s 2010  through 2012 annual reports on state collection and distribution of 911  and E911 fees and charges as well as states’ responses to FCC’s  information-collecting effort upon which the FCC’s annual reports are  based.information that the states provided to the information FCC reported.
Why GAO Did This Study

Wireless E911 service refers to the capability of 911 call takers to automatically receive location information from 911 callers using mobile phones. The current E911 system is not designed to accommodate emergency communications from the range of new technologies in common use today that support text, data, and video. Although deploying wireless E911 and NG911 is the responsibility of state and local governments, FCC is required by law to report annually on the funds states collect to provide 911 services such as E911. The Next Generation 911 Advancement Act of 2012 required GAO to review states collection and use of 911 funds. In this report, GAO presents information on (1) progress implementing wireless E911 in the last decade, (2) states collection and use of 911 funds and the usefulness of FCCs reporting on this issue, and (3) challenges to implementing NG911 services and federal efforts to facilitate its deployment. GAO reviewed FCCs annual reports, states responses to FCCs information-collecting efforts, and documents from FCC and DOT regarding E911 and NG911. GAO reviewed best practices for collecting and analyzing data and interviewed federal and state officials and other stakeholders.

What GAO Found

Although states faced challenges and delays in the past, states have made significant progress implementing wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) since 2003. Wireless E911 deployment usually proceeds through two phases: Phase I provides general caller location information by identifying the cell tower or cell site that is receiving the wireless call; Phase II provides more precise caller-location information, usually within 50 to 300 meters. Currently, according to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), nearly 98 percent of 911 call centers, known as Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), are capable of receiving Phase I location information, and 97 percent have implemented Phase II for at least one wireless carrier. This represents a significant improvement since 2003 when implementation of Phase I was 65 percent and Phase II was 18 percent. According to NENA's current data, 142 U.S. counties (representing roughly 3 percent of the U.S. population) do not have some level of wireless E911 service. The areas that lack wireless E911 are primarily rural and tribal areas that face special implementation challenges, according to federal and association officials.
According to data collected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), all 50 states and the District of Columbia reported collecting--or authorizing local entities to collect--funds for wireless E911 implementation, and most states reported using these funds for their intended purpose. Six states--Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island--reported using a total of almost $77 million of funds collected for 911 implementation for other purposes (e.g., transferring 911 funds to the general fund) in 2011. Using funds in this way is permissible by state law in these states, but it creates the risk of undermining the credibility of 911 fees in those states. The manner in which FCC collects and reports information on state 911 funds limits the usefulness of its annual report. In particular, contrary to best practices for collecting and analyzing data, FCC uses only open-ended questions to solicit information from states, lacks written guidelines for interpreting states' responses and ensuring that results can be reproduced, and does not describe the methodology used to analyze the data it collects. As a result, FCC is missing an opportunity to analyze trends and to provide more detailed aggregated information that would be useful to decision makers.
Next Generation (NG911) will enable the public to reach PSAPs through voice and data, such as text messages, but stakeholders have identified a variety of technical, regulatory, and funding challenges to implementing it. For example, many of the existing state and federal regulations governing 911 were written before the technological capabilities of NG911 existed. The federal government is taking steps to help states address challenges. In particular, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has focused on research through the NG911 Initiative, and FCC released a 5-point plan to encourage NG911 implementation. FCC's plan includes (1) developing location accuracy mechanisms for NG911; (2) enabling consumers to send text, photos, and videos to PSAPs; (3) facilitating the completion and implementation of NG911 technical standards; (4) developing a governance framework for NG911; and (5) developing a funding model for NG911. FCC also released a report in March 2013 that detailed specific recommendations to Congress for a legal and regulatory framework for NG911.

What GAO Recommends

FCC should follow best practices for data collection and analysis to improve its current method of collecting and reporting information on state 911 funds. In response, FCC concurred with GAO's recommendation and agreed to take action to address it.