FCC Wants to Make Sure Software Bugs Don't Take Down 911

When you need 911, will your call connect? The FCC wants to know.

In recent years, as consumers have dropped landlines for cell phones or VoIP-based offerings, the officials in charge of our 911 systems have had to adapt and explore how to accept emergency calls over the Web, on mobile devices, or via text.

But when legacy providers adopt new technology, they often have to bring on contractors or start-ups with expertise in next-gen services. That can result in a better 911 experience for those who need help, but it can also result in a "too many chefs in the kitchen" type of situation. Who is in charge if something goes wrong, and how do you restore service in the fastest, most efficient way possible after an outage?

Those are some of the issues the Federal Communications Commission will examine in two new orders circulated today by Chairman Tom Wheeler.

The FCC has been exploring next-gen 911 tech for years, but officials said today that they are concerned about an unprecedented number of 911 outages this year that were not weather-related, but instead due to software and database errors.

An April outage, for example, occurred after a software coding error, taking out 911 service for 11 million people across seven states for up to six hours. About 1.4 million people were without service in Hawaii for about 20 hours, while 625,000 Vermont residents experienced a 40-minute 911 outage.

Complicating matters is the fact that home base for some of these advanced services are spread out all around the country, making it difficult to know who to contact when a software update goes awry, for example.

As a result, one part of the chairman's proposal would designate a lead person or group who would be in charge during an outage and keep 911 call centers, state officials, and the FCC up to date. A senior FCC official said the agency has proposed that that the carrier providing service to the 911 public-safety answering points (PSAPs) be in charge, but the commission is open to suggestions.

The proposal also wants to make sure residents are made aware of system changes - particularly as firms shut down copper networks. Copper networks usually work during a power outage, because they are powered separately by the phone company, but the same can't be said for fiber or IP-based networks. As a result, the FCC wants to know if it should adopt battery back-up requirements for those providing next-gen telecom services so people can call 911 during a blackout.

The chairman's proposal is being circulated to his fellow commissioners now, and the issue will likely be addressed at the FCC's Nov. 21 open meeting, at which point a public comment period will probably begin.

It remains to be seen if the agency will tackle the growing problem of 911 butt dialing. FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly penned a blog post earlier this month that said a large number of 911 calls made from cell phones were unintentional, so people need to be better about locking their phones.