Federal Communications Commission "FCC XX-XXX" STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER GEOFFREY STARKS Re: Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements, PS Docket No. 07-114 A call to 911 is one we all hope we never have to make. With today’s Order and NPRM, we take the next step in deploying lifesaving location technology for mobile phone users that will improve the ability of first responders to send help where it is needed. This is a step in the right direction, but it is not the final one. The three-meter metric we adopt today will get first responders close to those in distress but, as I have noted in the past, floor-level accuracy is needed to ensure they get to the right place every time. I am pleased that the NPRM seeks comment on transitioning to a more stringent metric. This is literally a life-or-death issue, and we need to move fast. The increasingly accurate location data that we can provide to first responders increases safety, but it also increases our responsibility to protect user privacy. This is sensitive personal information that is vulnerable to abuse outside the 911 context. I suggested edits to the item to foreclose any possibility that vertical location details could be abused by third-party vendors that CMRS providers work with. I appreciate that the Chairman worked with me to close that loophole. We must also continue to work to ensure that the benefits of enhanced 911 reach all Americans, including Lifeline recipients. Though today’s NPRM, we ask important questions about how to increase the stock of Lifeline phones that are z-axis capable. I am pleased the Order adopts a technology-neutral approach to z-axis support, and that it appears that some providers are working toward solutions that do not require special hardware and may more readily work with Lifeline phones. Because Lifeline provides an essential connection to our most vulnerable, we must ensure that they are not left behind as we work towards improved location accuracy for emergency response. I look forward to robust comments on these issues. Many thanks for the dedicated staff of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Your tireless efforts on this issue are saving lives. 2