Legislation designed to make next-generation 911 a reality nationwide has been introduced, but questions about the cost of initiative remain in doubt
By Donny Jackson, Editor, Urgent Communications
Legislation designed to make next-generation 911 (NG911) a reality in public-safety answering points (PSAPs) nationwide again has been introduced in Congress, but questions about the cost of initiative—and the funding source—remain in doubt, based on discussions conducted yesterday in a House hearing.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) last week announced that he and Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) are co-sponsoring the Next Generation 911 Act, which would establish a grant program within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) “that creates a clear federal framework for upgrading legacy 9-1-1 infrastructure as appropriations become available,” according to a press release accompanying the bill’s introduction.
This legislative proposal also would create a nationwide Next Generation 911 Cybersecurity Center and a Next Generation 911 Advisory Board, according to information from a House website.
But how much funding is needed for this purpose remains unclear to Hudson, who asked the question of APCO President Jack Varnado yesterday during a hearing about public-safety communications before the House Communications & Technology subcommittee chaired by Hudson. Varnado referenced the $15 billion figure that has been proposed previously for NG911 but acknowledged that he does not have “an updated number” at the moment.
However, Varnado emphasized the need for nationwide deployment of NG911—the IP-based platform poised to replace aging legacy 911 technology—and that Congress should act quickly to ensure that the technology migration happens as soon as possible, particularly in rural areas.
“We don’t need to kick the can down the road anymore,” Varnado said during the hearing, which was webcast. “We need to start this process. We need to get this going in a much more organized manner. Because what we’re doing is we are leaving these smaller, more rural, less-funded [911] centers behind, and those people are the ones that need to be brought into this.
“Larger jurisdictions and well-funded jurisdictions have some of the resources to begin this [transition to NG911]. But in many cases, it’s the smaller ones who don’t have those resources. They don’t have the personnel and the ability to have the technical expertise that’s needed in this. We need to start moving on this.”
Hudson said he understands the need for urgency but indicated that the “pretty outdated” cost estimate—a projection based on an increase to figures included in a cost estimate calculated from information gathered almost a decade ago—could make it more difficult to attract the political support necessary for legislative approval.
“The challenge for us—as policymakers—is that we have finite resources, and we want to make sure that we’re deploying them efficiently,” Hudson said. “It may be less than $15 [billion], because a lot of other folks have upgraded [to NG911 with state and local funds]. It might be more than $15 [billion], because the technology is more expensive than it was a few years ago.
“As much as APCO can help us drill down and figure out what exactly that need is, and the better we can define it, the more successful we can be in garnering those resources.”
Varnado responded that APCO will “be glad to work with you on that.”
However, later in the hearing, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)—the ranking member of the full House Energy & Commerce Committee—asked Varnado whether he believes another cost study for NG911 is needed.
“No, sir,” Varnado said. “I think we’re ready to move forward. Even if we take the small steps, we can move forward.”
While the Next Generation 911 Act has been introduced, no text of the bill was available at www.congress.gov as of the posting of this article. As a result, the amount of funding proposed in the legislation is not clear.
Meanwhile, the source of any funding to support NG911 deployment is uncertain at this time. Pallone and several other Democrats during the hearing criticized Republicans for removing an NG911 as a funding benefactor from FCC spectrum auctions, although some public-safety representatives expressed skepticism whether such federal funding would be available quickly enough to be helpful to PSAPs making the technological upgrade.
Beltway sources have indicated that there is considerable support philosophically that NG911 is needed throughout the United States, but there are significant issues associated with securing the federal funding.
Historically, 911 has been funded by state and local governments, with little or no federal funding. Convincing Congress to initiate funding for a new initiative like NG911 at a time when longstanding budget programs are facing funding decreases—or possible outright elimination—could be especially difficult, according to sources.
Despite these challenges, the NG911 legislation co-sponsored by Hudson and Carter has received some notable support from key stakeholders.
“We are grateful for Rep. Hudson’s leadership in promoting next-generation 911 in the U.S. Congress,” NENA CEO John Provenzano said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to working with Reps. Hudson and Carter on this important bipartisan effort as we work to ensure deployment of a nationwide next-generation 911 system.”
Chief Strategy Officer of Intrado—the nation’s largest 911 provider— Brian Davenport echoed this sentiment.
“Advancing NG911 is critical to our national security and the security of our public-safety network,” Davenport said in a prepared statement. “Far too many Americans are relying on outdated technology to get the help they need when it matters most. Congressional action is necessary to ensure we can complete the transition across the country, and we applaud Congressman Hudson for his continued leadership on this issue.”
