Dates Announced for Rules Mandating Vertical Location Information in 911 Calls

On November 26, 2019, we wrote about rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") to help locate callers in terms of not only the street address but also a caller's vertical location within a multi-story building, asking "Which Door Should First Responders Kick In?"

The new rules were published in the Federal Register on January 16. Except for performance and compliance reporting requirements that are subject to approval by the Office of Management and Budget ("OMB"), the new rules will become effective on March 16, 2020. Deadlines have also been set for comments and replies on when and to what extent the 3-meter vertical accuracy requirement can be tightened and how location determination will work during electric power failures if it becomes dependent on externally powered mini-cell sites and Wi-Fi access points. Initial comments will be due February 18, 2020, with replies due March 16, 2020.