The Federal Communications Commission has moved forward with and expanded requirements that mobile network operators provide vertical location information for wireless callers when they call 911, so that first responders can locate their position in multi-story buildings.
The FCC has been working on requirements around so-called “z-axis location”, what level of accuracy will be required, and the timelines for availability. At this month’s meeting, they rejected a request to “weaken” their requirements, as Chairman Ajit Pai put it, and stuck with deadlines of April 2021 and April 2023 for nationwide wireless network operators to provide z-axis information that is within an accuracy range of plus or minus three meters relative to the handset, for 80% of indoor wireless 911 calls.
