*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 27424.doc* NEWS News media Information 202 / 418- 0500 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th Street, S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D. C. Circ 1974). FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: May 1, 2003 Meribeth McCarrick at (202) 418- 0654 mmccarri@ fcc. gov COMMISSION HOLDS FIRST MEETING OF THE ENHANCED 911 “E911” COORDINATION INITIATIVE Washington, D. C. – The FCC held the first meeting of the Enhanced 911 (E911) Coordination Initiative on Tuesday, April 29. The widely attended event brought together representatives from the federal government, the public safety community, wireless carriers, Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) and other interested stakeholders to share experiences and devise strategies for expediting E911 deployment. FCC Chairman Michael Powell and Commissioners Kathleen Abernathy, Michael Copps, Kevin Martin and Jonathan Adelstein all made remarks at the event. “The rollout of wireless E911 services to consumers is an urgent priority for the Commission,” said John Muleta, Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. “Cooperation between many stakeholders is essential to deployment and this successful meeting provided a solid foundation for a new era of cooperation.” The meeting addressed ongoing implementation issues such as Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) funding, wireless carrier implementation and prioritization, issues relating to LECs, and challenges faced by rural carriers. Some of the main “lessons learned” from the wide array of viewpoints expressed include: - E911 is on a digital migration. All parties must work together to move wireless carriers, manufacturers and consumers along the migration trail for E911 capability. - Strong leadership and vision is essential to ensure swift E911 deployment. - National collaborative efforts among all stakeholders that provide guidance, solutions, information, and leadership are important. - State or regional E911 points of contact are critical for carriers to ensure swift deployment. - For PSAP readiness, cost recovery and proper management and distribution of funds are key steps toward ensuring wireless E911 rollout. - Wireless E911 in rural areas may pose additional challenges such as financial hurdles and accuracy concerns, but there are promising signs of progress on these issues. 1 This meeting was the first in a series of coordination efforts to allow the Commission to facilitate E911 deployment. The next meeting of the E911 Coordination Initiative will take place in the fall. Audio/ Video playback coverage of the meeting is available on the FCC’s Audio/ Video Events web page at: www. fcc. gov/ realaudio. A full transcript of the meeting of the meeting is expected to be available within 2 weeks. When available, the transcript will be filed in CC Docket No. 94- 102 and will be available through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System http:// www. fcc. gov/ cgb/ ecfs. - FCC - Wireless Bureau Contact: Lauren Kravetz Patrich at (202) 418- 7944 or lkravetz@ fcc. gov 2