E911 Technology Choice Raises Concerns Over Deployment, Network Impact And “Two-Class” Caller Safety
Research Firm Telecom Trends International Publishes Benchmark Analysis Of High Accuracy Location Technologies
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FALLS CHURCH, VA -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 12/17/2002 -- Carriers selecting TDOA location technology to meet the FCC’s E911 mandate in GSM networks may face deployment problems, network capacity issues, and will create a “two class” personal safety system for emergency callers, Telecom Trends International (TTI) concludes in a research report published today.
The research report, entitled “E911 Implementation in the US: Technology Decisions, Deployments and Deadlines” highlights continued carrier concerns about the technology’s current readiness as a GSM solution to meet impending FCC implementation deadlines.
The report also details how long-running carrier issues with the impact and cost of TDOA equipment deployment on existing network infrastructure remain unresolved and whether as a proprietary solution it can be deployed rapidly.
The creation of two levels of caller safety is also highlighted as a major concern. E911 callers on those GSM and CDMA networks deploying handset-based location solutions will be located down to 50 meter levels. However, callers on similar networks deploying network-based location technology will only need to be located within 100 meters under current guidelines.
Written by a team of leading experts on wireless location technologies and services, the report brings together documented filings in its analysis of where carriers stand with regard to E911, what location technologies they have adopted, and benchmarks E911 high accuracy technology such as TDOA/AOA, E-OTD, and A-GPS.
Enhanced 9-1-1, or E911 service for cell phone users provides location information similar to that of wireline systems that automatically provide the address of the caller. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set rigorous implementation milestones for carriers to deploy E911.
“Time to deploy technology to meet the FCC’s mandate is short and we should be seeing carrier confidence in their selected technology. However, concerns are being raised now about TDOA that first emerged three years ago. Fundamentally, the technology remains unproven in widescale GSM rollouts, unsupported by GSM vendors and its impact in deployment terms is concerning,” said report author Naqi A. Jaffery, President of Telecom Trends International.
“At a time of heightened national security concerns, we should also be concerned about the creation of a ‘two-class’ E911 service with carriers offering different levels of accuracy within the same network technologies. TDOA may also impact on carrier network performance at a time when consumer concerns about capacity are prevalent,” he said.
The report concludes that standardized technologies such as E-OTD for GSM and A-GPS for CDMA will speed-up the implementation of E911 while allowing for implementation of positioning functionality across multi-vendor networks.
A copy of TTI’s 45 page study entitled E911 Implementation in the US: Technology Decisions, Deployments and Deadlines may be obtained at www.telecomtrends.net.
About Telecom Trends International
Telecom Trends International (TTI) is a leading consulting and market research company that offers expert advice on emerging telecommunications developments. TTI conducts leading-edge research on trends and developments in the telecommunications marketplace, and disseminates that research through published reports, custom projects, briefings, and advisory services. The company performs market analysis, technology assessment, strategic planning and due diligence. TTI’s president, Naqi A. Jaffery has worked on virtually every facet of the telecommunications industry, and is widely regarded as an authority on the wireless data market. For more information go to: www.telecomtrends.net. |
