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Experts urge Congress to fund nationwide Next Generation 911 rollout, warn delays raise costs and risks
Summary
Witnesses at a House Energy and Commerce hearing pressed lawmakers for sustained funding and clearer federal guidance to complete nationwide Next Generation 9‑1‑1 (NG9‑1‑1) deployment, saying many 9‑1‑1 centers still rely on century‑old, voice‑centric systems and that delays raise costs and public‑safety risk.
Federal and local emergency communications officials told a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee that completing the nationwide deployment of Next Generation 9‑1‑1 (NG9‑1‑1) requires a sustained, dedicated funding stream and clearer federal guidance.
Dr. Brian Fontes, former chief executive officer of the National Emergency Number Association, told the committee NG9‑1‑1 “is a suite of standards based technologies that will fully modernize the 9‑1‑1 systems with information rich data, enhanced cybersecurity, redundancy, and resiliency.” He said much of the nation’s 9‑1‑1 infrastructure remains ‘‘voice centric’’ and therefore unable to receive texts, photos, video or other data that could help responders assess emergencies before they arrive.
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