STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR Re: Inquiry Concerning 911 Access, Routing, and Location in Enterprise Communications Systems, PS Docket No. 17-239 In 2012, Congress and the public safety community identified a long-standing problem with 911. As the item before us explains, when consumers dial 911 from an office building, hotel, school, or other large enterprise, the telephone system in use in those facilities may not pass along accurate location or call-back information. That can—and has—led to tragic circumstances in which public safety officials have been unable to locate a caller or have sent first responders to the wrong location, wasting the critical minutes that often make the difference in an emergency. Congress therefore directed the Commission to seek comment on the feasibility of requiring these systems to provide accurate location information. FCC staff did so by issuing a Public Notice over five years ago. But the Commission itself did not take any formal action. In the intervening years, the problem has not been solved. In 2014, for instance, when a Utah man suffered a heart attack at an auto parts store, the telephone system identified the call as coming from the company’s corporate headquarters. Paramedics rushed to the wrong location. Those close to the man say that the resulting delay in reaching him contributed to his death. So I think the Commission has an obligation to take action. And I agree with Commissioner Clyburn that the recent hurricanes only underscore the importance of this issue. So I am grateful that we are now launching this proceeding, which will examine potential solutions to this problem. I also want to thank my colleagues for agreeing to expand this inquiry to cover a related issue. As the item now notes, when a 911 call lacks the location information necessary to route it automatically to the local 911 center, it is transferred to what is known as a fallback, or remote, call center. These call centers can be located in a different state or even outside the country. Operators at these centers then attempt the very analog task of identifying the location of the caller by asking questions about his or her location, what city they think they are located in, or what they can see. Once the call center has enough information, if it is able to get that information, it attempts to route the call to the appropriate PSAP. I think it is important that we shed light on this particular process as part of today’s inquiry, ask about the best practices that are in place, and determine how frequently this issue arises. I am glad that my colleagues agreed to do so. This item has my support.