US E911 Location: Two Imperfect Technologies are Better than One
US operators have a tremendous responsibility, imposed by the Federal Communications Commission, to provide essential location information to public safety answering points across the nation. Autonomy in how operators meet the FCC requirements led the four major US operators to adopt two main types of location systems to satisfy E911 requirements. However, both technologies have limitations in some environments – imperfect solutions for an acutely important system that could be life or death to the emergency wireless caller.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In a Nutshell
Executive summary
Ovum view
Key messages
Location technologies used for E911 location
Handset-based location for E911
A-GPS
Cell ID
Pros and cons of GPS-based location
Network-based location solutions for E911
TDOA
Pros and cons of network-based location
FCC requirements and E911 needs
Overview
Current FCC E911 wireless operator requirements
The ambiguous “95%” rule
Location accuracy and reliability are essential to save lives
The EU holds back on specific location requirements
Outlook
A hybrid solution makes the most sense – but who is the customer?
In a Nutshell
Executive summary
Ovum view
Key messages
Location technologies used for E911 location
Handset-based location for E911
A-GPS
Cell ID
Pros and cons of GPS-based location
Network-based location solutions for E911
TDOA
Pros and cons of network-based location
FCC requirements and E911 needs
Overview
Current FCC E911 wireless operator requirements
The ambiguous “95%” rule
Location accuracy and reliability are essential to save lives
The EU holds back on specific location requirements
Outlook
A hybrid solution makes the most sense – but who is the customer?
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Operator requirements for E911 compliance by 2012 deadline
Table 2: General E911 statistics
Table 1: Operator requirements for E911 compliance by 2012 deadline
Table 2: General E911 statistics
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: FCC wireless E911 deadlines for mobile operators
Figure 2: Percentage of the US covered by E911 –NENA statistics as of 1 April 2010
Figure 1: FCC wireless E911 deadlines for mobile operators
Figure 2: Percentage of the US covered by E911 –NENA statistics as of 1 April 2010
