1 Text-to-911: Requirements & Options Henning Schulzrinne FCC

2 Goals What have we learned so far? possibilities & options What are requirements? What are the trade-offs? Long-term goals Short-term achievable Not an official FCC policy statement reflects comments, ex-partes, EAAC, …

3 The big picture Internet (WiFi, 3G/4G) RTT, SMS, IM SMS location  PSAP + capability cellular voice

4 General hard requirements Work everywhere even without 3G/4G coverage end-to-end compatible (standards-based) All mobile devices smart phones & feature phones with and without a data plan Basic automated location capability sufficient for identifying PSAP Path to NG911 transition should be invisible to users

5 Desirable & likely feasible Short code 911 for SMS Support for IP-based ( “ app ” ) solutions in addition to SMS can support RTT and IM-mode when PSAP is capable of receiving such System automatically chooses best option for user based on PSAP capabilities NG911 as soon as possible

6 Hard constraints Can ’ t upgrade all PSAPs  no money no FCC authority over PSAPs  have to support fall back modes (see next)

7 Acronyms and concepts IMS (Internet Multimedia Subsystem) 4G approach to carrying multimedia calls SIP-based (like NENA i3) MMES (Multimedia Emergency Services) IMS extension details TBD ESInet (Emergency Services IP network) the (private) IP network that connects PSAPs in a region contains call handling and call routing equipment

Acronyms and concepts OTT (over-the-top) communication services that use Internet (IP) services for voice or video rather than “native” services directly supported by cellular provider currently, voice & SMS/MMS examples: Google Voice, Skype, Vonage, Netflix, iMessage, AOL IM, … 8

9 PSAP text handling options: direct OptionAdvantageDisadvantage NG911 Direct communication RTT Cost of NG911 Time to deploy (8+ years/95%) Pre-NG911 (text only IP) Direct communication CAD integration PSAP upgrade Web-based Direct communication Cheap No integration with CAD Requires IP connectivity TTY Direct communication Every PSAP has one No personnel costs Reliability untested TTY training and usage Who do you call when things go wrong? TTY with human operator fallback as above may avoid catastrophic failures as above

10 PSAP text handling options: assisted OptionAdvantagesDisadvantages Telematics voice with direct routing Trained staff Works for every PSAP Not direct – conversation delay Staffing cost Provider? TRS voice Providers may be available (?) Leverage infrastructure Indirect Answer delay Staff not emergency-trained Redirect to text PSAP Trained call taker Dispatch and handling delay Finding willing PSAPs?

11 PSAP classes

Who can use the system? Options presented: everybody “soft” registration “are you sure” message for non-registered users e.g., TRS/VRS users get access to 911 app for smartphones “hard” registration error message for non-registered users Affects system cost (if telematics or relay operator) funding possibilities broader goals (text as fallback, Vtech scenarios) per-call cost 12

Key questions What transition mechanisms are preferable acceptable for a transition period? How long should the transition period be? Any suggestions on mechanisms to encourage & accelerate the transition to better mechanisms? Identify trade-offs and solutions, not just requirements 13