Today:  Canada Releases NG 911 PSAP Report, Idaho Cancels USF Workshop, GAO Releases Report on NG911 

Canada Releases NG 911 PSAP Report

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released a report from its Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG).   Canada is anticipating the transition to next-generation 911 (NG 911) and its ESWG examined best practices for public safety answering points (PSAPs) interconnecting with current 911 and future NG 911 networks.  The CRTC is encouraging PSAPs in Canada to implement the best practices set out in the report.  Additionally, the CRTC seeks to adopt its own cybersecurity recommendations as well as those of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  The main objective of the report is to promote cybersecurity awareness among various 911 stakeholders and to secure overall 911 and NG 911 environments.

In summary, the CRTC encourages PSAPs throughout Canada to

• implement a clear NG 911 cybersecurity strategy that identifies assets and their owners, including vulnerabilities, threats, and risks to these assets, as well as how to mitigate them;
• use the methods and roadmap guidance included in the Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture (TFOPA) Emergency Communications Cybersecurity Center (EC3) model to create enhanced cybersecurity policies; and
• develop a cybersecurity action plan to monitor, audit, secure, protect, and report on cybersecurity events.

Idaho Cancels USF Workshop

The Idaho PUC cancelled the February 28, 2018 workshop that was scheduled to be held in conjunction with its proceeding considering the continuing viability of the Idaho Universal Service Fund (IUSF).  Staff will file a summary report including the stakeholder’s positions and its own analysis on April 4, 2018.  Replies to the analysis may be filed until April 25, 2018.  The first workshop was held in January 2017.  Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 1/4/18.

GAO Releases Report on NG911

The General Accounting Office released the results of a study reviewing NG911 implementation nationwide.  The report examines: (1) state and local progress and challenges in implementing NG911 and (2) federal actions to address challenges and planned next steps.  Among other things, GAO analyzed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) survey data on state 911 implementation for calendar year 2015, the most recent year for which data were available, and interviewed federal officials, state and local officials from nine states (selected to represent different regions and various phases of NG911 implementation), and officials from industry and advocacy groups.

The NHTSA’s survey data indicated that about half of states were in some phase of transition to NG911 in 2015, but that state and local progress varied.  

• 10 states reported that all 911 authorities in their state processed calls using NG911 systems;
• 18 states reported having no state or local NG911 transition plans in place—which may indicate these states were in the early phases of planning for the transition to NG911 or had not yet begun.

GAO spoke with state and local 911 officials in 9 states which were in various phases of implementing NG911 and found that none of the 9 selected states were accepting images, audio files, or video.  State and local 911 officials identified a number of challenges to implementing NG911. Such challenges are related to funding, evolving technology and operations, and governance.  For example, officials in 3 states said that the current funding they collect from telephone service subscribers may not be sufficient to support NG911's transition costs while simultaneously funding the operation of existing 911 systems.

GAO recommends that NHTSA's National 911 Program develop performance goals and measures and, for the National NG911 Roadmap, determine agencies' roles and responsibilities and develop an implementation plan. NHTSA agreed with GAO's recommendations.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.