OTTAWA – The CRTC is tweaking its regulatory framework for next-generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) services at the behest of the New Brunswick 9-1-1 Bureau, which filed a review and vary request on behalf of a number of public safety answering point organizations.
The Commission said that it has determined that there is “substantial doubt” as to the correctness of its previous decision to exclude secondary public safety answering point (PSAP) connections from next-generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) network access tariffs, as set out last June in Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2017-182.
Therefore, the Commission varied that determination on Monday to include NG9-1-1 related connections of secondary PSAPs in future NG9-1-1 network access tariffs.
It also revised the framework to include a definition of secondary PSAPs, redefine the NG9-1-1 network boundaries, and requested that the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) report annually on the number of primary and secondary PSAPs requesting to be connected to NG9-1-1 networks in the future.
“The determinations in this decision are intended to ensure that the introduction of the NG9-1-1 system will be efficient and timely, and that the service provided will be of high quality”, reads the decision.
Led by the incumbent telephone companies, Canadian telephone and mobile wireless companies must update their networks in order to provide NG9-1-1 services in two years, as Cartt.ca reported. The networks must be ready to provide NG9-1-1 voice services by June 30, 2020 and NG9-1-1 text messaging services by December 31, 2020. These services will be then made available to Canadians as their local 9-1-1 call centres are in a position to offer them.
