PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
DA 13-2087
Released:  October 29, 2013
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES 
EFFECTIVE DATE FOR TEXT-TO-911 BOUNCE-BACK ROAMING RULE ADOPTED 
IN SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION
PS DOCKET NOS. 11-153 and 10-255
Effective Date: October 29, 2013
On May 8, 2013, the Commission adopted a Report and Order in PS Docket Nos. 11-153 and 10-
2551 requiring all Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers and certain providers of 
interconnected text messaging services to provide an automatic “bounce-back” text message in situations 
where a consumer attempts to send a text message to 911 in a location where text-to-911 is not available.2  
The rule adopted by the Report and Order, codified at 47 C.F.R. §20.18(n), became effective on June 28, 
2013 and required all covered providers to implement the bounce-back capability by September 30, 
2013.3
On September 27, 2013, the Commission adopted an Order on Reconsideration amending the 
portion of the bounce-back rule applicable to CMRS providers when consumers are roaming, codified at 
47 C.F.R. §20.18(n)(7).4 The Order on Reconsideration amended this portion of the rule to specify that 
when a consumer attempts to send a text to 911 while roaming on a CMRS network, the CMRS provider 
offering roaming service (host provider) satisfies its bounce-back obligation provided that it does not 
impede the consumer’s text to the consumer’s home network provider (home provider) or impede any 
bounce-back message generated by the home provider back to the consumer.5 The Order on 
Reconsideration waived application of Section 20.18(n)(7) and stated that the revised version of this 
  
1 In the Matter of Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to-911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications, 
Framework for Next Generation 911 Deployment, PS Docket No. 11-153, PS Docket No. 10-255, Report and 
Order, FCC 13-64 (2013).
2 The Report and Order defines “interconnected text messaging services” as those providers that enable a consumer 
to send text messages to all or substantially all text-capable U.S. telephone numbers and receive text messages from 
the same.  Id. at para. 41.
3 Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to-911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications, Final Rule, 78 FR 32169 
(May 29, 2013).
4 In the Matter of Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to-911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications, 
Framework for Next Generation 911 Deployment, PS Docket No. 11-153, PS Docket No. 10-255, Order on 
Reconsideration, FCC 13-127 (2013).
5 Id. at ¶ 9. 
2subsection would become effective upon publication of the order in the Federal Register.6 On October 
29, 2013 the Order on Reconsideration was published in the Federal Register.7 Therefore, the effective 
date for the revised version of Section 20.18(n)(7) is October 29, 2013.8
For additional information, contact Timothy May, timothy.may@fcc.gov, of the Public Safety 
and Homeland Security Bureau, Policy Division, at (202) 418-1463.  Press inquiries should be directed to 
Rochelle Cohen, (202) 418-1162.  
By the Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. 
--FCC--
  
6 Id. at ¶ 14.  
7 Next Generation 911, Text-to-911, Next Generation 911 Applications, 78 Fed. Reg. 64404 (Oct. 29, 2013).
8 Id.