The newly passed rule mandates cable, wireline, wireless, and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers to report daily to the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) during active periods in areas they serve. This requirement aims to prevent duplication, relieving providers from reporting to both DIRS and the Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) simultaneously.
Wireless Routing for Emergency Calls
Additionally, in a unanimous decision, FCC commissioners mandated all wireless carriers to implement nationwide location-based routing for wireless calls and real-time texts to 911 call centers. This rule, effective within six months for national carriers and 24 months for others, ensures emergency calls are directed based on the caller’s location rather than the serving cell tower, reducing response delays and misrouting issues.
Commissioner Geoffrey Starks emphasized the significance of this decision, noting that current tower-based routing often directs emergency calls to incorrect jurisdictions, impacting millions of calls annually.
