STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI Re: Notice of Inquiry into 911 Access, Routing, and Location for Enterprise Communications Systems, PS Docket No. 17-239. When Americans call 911, they need to reach emergency personnel. And when those numbers are dialed, first responders need to receive accurate location and callback information. Simple propositions each. But for many 911 callers located in hotels, on college campuses, or in corporate complexes, these expectations aren’t being met. To reach emergency personnel, a caller sometimes has to dial an access code or other numbers before actually dialing 9-1-1. And if he or she reaches emergency personnel, the 911 call center may not get the location or callback information required to find the person in need. That’s why this Notice of Inquiry is important. We will examine why it can be difficult to just dial 9-1-1 when calling from an enterprise-based communications systems, or ECS. These systems typically serve environments such as office buildings, campuses, and hotels. And we also will take a comprehensive look at what can be done to ensure that accurate location and callback information is sent to emergency personnel. In an emergency, it shouldn’t matter whether you’re calling from your house, an outdoor park, or an office building. You should be able to reach first responders quickly, and those first responders should be given the information they need to assist you. Of course, we are not laboring alone in these fields. Each House of Congress has unanimously passed a version of the Kari’s Law Act of 2017. This legislation would help ensure direct access to 911. I hope Congress can quickly resolve these bills and send final text to the President. This is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure that when the next emergency strikes— whether it’s a hurricane that affects legions or a heart attack that affects a loved one—Americans can use an effective, reliable, and easy-to-use 911 system to get the help they need. Thank you to the staff who worked on this item. From the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau: Brenda Boykin, Michael Connelly, Lisa Fowlkes, David Furth, Lauren Kravetz, Tim May, Roberto Mussenden, Erika Olsen, Austin Randazzo, Emily Talaga, and Michael Wilhelm. From the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau: Suzanne Singleton. From the Wireline Competition Bureau: Kirk Burgee and Cathy Zima. From the Office of General Counsel: Deborah Broderson, David Horowitz, and Bill Richardson. And from the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis: Chuck Needy and Henning Schulzrinne.