Washington, DC — January 25, 2024 — The Federal Communications Commission today adopted
rules to more precisely route wireless 911 calls and Real-Time Texts (RTT) to 911 call centers,
which can result in faster response times during emergencies and ultimately save lives.
Wireless 911 calls have historically been routed to 911 call centers based on the location of the
cell tower that handles the call. But in some cases—for example, if a 911 call is made near a
county or a city border—the nearest cell tower may be in a neighboring jurisdiction. In these
cases, the call may be routed to a 911 call center in that neighboring jurisdiction, not the call
center that serves the caller’s location. These wireless 911 calls must then be re-routed to the
proper 911 call center, which can waste valuable time and resources during emergencies.
The Commission today adopted rules that will require all wireless carriers to implement locationbased routing nationwide for wireless calls and RTT communications to 911 call centers. With
this approach, 911 voice calls and real-time texts will be routed based on the location of the caller
as opposed to the location of the cell tower that handles that call. Using this precise location
information to route 911 calls will result in millions more wireless 911 callers reaching
emergency responders without the need for transfer or delay.
Action by the Commission January 25, 2024 by Report and Order (FCC 24-4). Chairwoman
Rosenworcel, Commissioners Carr, Starks, Simington, and Gomez approving. Chairwoman
Rosenworcel, Commissioners Starks and Gomez issuing separate statements.
PS Docket No. 18-64
