STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI
RE:  Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to-911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications, PS Docket 
No. 11-153; Framework for Next Generation 911 Deployment; PS Docket No. 10-255.
Late last week, four nationwide carriers—AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile—submitted to 
the Commission a voluntary commitment to enable text-to-911 on their networks by May 15, 2014.  Even 
sooner, by June 30, 2013, these companies will provide an automatic “bounce back” notification should a 
911 text not go through.  I commend these carriers for their leadership in this critical endeavor and thank 
my colleagues for their hard work in forging this agreement.   
Congress made clear in the Spectrum Act that establishing a Next Generation 911 system should be a 
national priority.  Providing text-to-911 functionality, in turn, is an important step on the journey of 
making Next Generation 911 a reality.
It is not an exaggeration to say that this issue can be a matter of life and death.  Today, over 40 million 
Americans with hearing or speech disabilities can find it difficult, if not impossible, to use 911 in an 
emergency.  Enabling them to reach first responders with a text message would help solve this problem.  
Similarly, an emergency text could be lifesaving to those who are unable to place a voice call due to 
threatening circumstances, such as domestic abuse.  Texting also could be a more reliable way of reaching 
911 in areas where network coverage is spotty or a network is congested.
I am encouraged that early text-to-911 trials have proven successful and look forward to reviewing the 
record that will be compiled in response to today’s Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  As we move 
forward with this proceeding, we should keep a couple of basic principles in mind.
First, we should not hesitate to set aggressive targets for the transition to Next Generation 911, but our 
goals must also be achievable.  It is not in anyone’s interest for us to impose mandates that are impossible 
to meet.  In particular, we must not mislead the public into relying on text-to-911 functionality until it is 
actually operational, for that could lead to fatal consequences. 
Second, we must work together in a cooperative manner with our partners in local governments, who are 
responsible for the 6,000-plus Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that handle 911 calls throughout 
the United States.  PSAPs were set up to handle basic voice calls, and they have performed that task very 
well over many years.  But they will need to migrate someday soon to a Next Generation 911 system so 
that they can process not just voice and text, but photos, video, and other data.  As today’s FNPRM 
explains, this transition will be expensive, and it will take time.  And in the current economic climate, it 
will be hard for PSAPs to obtain the funding necessary to provide even an SMS texting solution to 
carriers.  This is a challenge that requires attention from all levels of government. 
In closing, while there is a great deal of work yet to do in order to make text-to-911 a reality for all 
Americans, I am encouraged by the progress we have already made and look forward to continuing to 
work with my colleagues in aggressively pursuing this critical objective.  I would like to thank all the 
staff of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) involved in this effort, especially 
David Turetsky, David Furth, Aaron Garza and Patrick Donovan. Your long hours and dedication to this 
cause have resulted in today’s important achievement.