Cingular's e911 delay request signals widespread setback

12 Jul 2001 at 08:08 GMT Sinead Carew

Cingular Wireless LLC has made a request to the US Federal Communications Commission for more time to install mobile location detection equipment, signifying the possibility of a widespread delay of the next phase of e911 services in the US.

Atlanta, Georgia-based Cingular said that it cannot offer location service to all of its customers until as late as 2003. Cingular follows operators including AT&T Wireless and Nextel Communications Inc which have also requested extensions from the FCC. Cingular, AT&T Wireless and Nextel are three of the largest cellphone service providers in the US.

The FCC yesterday put out a notice asking for public comment on Cingular's application and says it is still reviewing all of these waiver requests separately. It seems likely that it will have to make a blanket decision to extend the October 1 deadline for the roll-out of e911 technology.

While Cingular, AT&T and Nextel have all filed different reasons for their waiver requests, much of their arguments surround a common technology problem. All at least partly blame their troubles on the technology shortcomings of Enhanced Observed Time Difference (EOTD), which they have all evaluated as one of the most viable technologies on offer. EOTD uses a mixture of handset and network elements to locate mobile users.

According to Cingular, which has a mixture of GSM and TDMA networks, EOTD is the only viable option for its GSM network. However, the operator warned that not only will EOTD technology not be ready for deployment within the FCC deadline, neither will it reach the accuracy levels requested by the regulator until the technology is further refined.

Cingular laid out a timetable ranging from a prediction that 25 percent of the handsets it sells in December this year could be EOTD-enabled, to a 100 percent handset capability by September 2002. As for accuracy, Cingular said that while the technology should be capable of achieving accuracy of 100 meters 67 percent of the time and accuracy of 300 meters 95 percent of the time, it noted that "an industry consensus appears to be forming" that EOTD handsets will not satisfy the FCC's accuracy requirements until October 1, 2003.

As for its TDMA network, Cingular warned that there is no available system that will satisfy the FCC accuracy requirements. It proposes the deployment of a less accurate switched based system to some of its network by June 30 next year, and to the remainder of its network by the end of February in 2003.

GSM operator VoiceStream, which also plans to use EOTD technology, has already successfully argued its case and been granted a deadline waiver by the FCC. AT&T, which has a TDMA network but has plans to move to GSM, has also said that it would like to roll out EOTD technology within a gentler timeframe. Nextel, which uses a unique network protocol I-Den, has shifted its focus between EOTD and GPS technologies.

The FCC, which has already spent months arguing about the fine print of AT&T's and Nextel's waiver requests, is under increasing pressure to make some definite decisions as the deadline looms closer and yet another large operator says it will be late. However, an FCC spokesperson reiterated the Commission's standard statement yesterday. "The Commission is still reviewing these waiver requests but the October 1 deadline still stands."

The regulator also put out a public notice yesterday requesting comments on Cingular's request before July 31. It will take replies to these comments until August 10.

Even if the regulator sticks stubbornly to its deadline it seems likely that Phase II e911 services will arrive later and will prove less accurate location information than the regulator had hoped for.

Considering that carriers need to first implement e911 in order to offer commercial location services, analyst expectations of the development of huge revenue spinning mobile location markets in the next few years seem even more over-hyped than ever.