SECTION 251.10. Guidelines for Implementing Wireless E9-1-1 Service

(a) Responsibilities. Each Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and wireless service provider (WSP) is responsible for implementing and providing Wireless E9-1-1 Service in accordance with this rule, federal law and regulations, and Commission policy.

(b) Implementation and Requests for Wireless E9-1-1 Service. Prior to implementing Wireless E9-1-1 Service in an RPC's region, a WSP shall submit to the Commission on a form prescribed by a Commission PPS the details of its technical approach to providing Wireless E9-1-1 Service including, but not limited to, its preferred deployment method and methods for delivering the required voice and data elements. Commission staff will review and evaluate the information submitted and notify the RPC that it may request Wireless E9-1-1 Service from the WSP. A WSP shall keep current the information submitted.

(c) Deployment Method. Unless otherwise approved by the Commission or Commission Staff as an exception, RPC and WSP will agree upon one of the following methods of wireless 911 call delivery:

(1) Callpath Associated Signaling (CAS);

(2) Non-Callpath Associated Signaling (NCAS); and

(3) Exceptions to CAS and NCAS, e.g., stand-alone ALI environments or Hybrid CAS/NCAS, which shall be illustrated and demonstrated to the satisfaction of each affected RPC prior to implementing Wireless E9-1-1 Service.

(d) Testing. Prior to implementing Wireless E9-1-1 Service, the RPC, WSP, local service provider, and any third party shall conduct database and equipment testing to ensure WSP's capacity to correctly route and deliver accurate ANI and/or ALI for wireless 9-1-1 calls. Further testing shall be performed as may be required by the RPC. Required testing shall not exceed any testing requirements established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) except by agreement between the RPC and WSP.

(e) Class of Service. Unless an exception is approved by the Commission, the FCC, or a national industry standards body, the following standard Classes of Service (COS) shall be used to identify each wireless 9-1-1 call delivered to a PSAP:

(1) "WRLS" for Wireless E9-1-1 Phase I Service; and

(2) "WPH2" for Wireless E9-1-1 Phase II Service.

(f) Reimbursement. A WSP may request reimbursement for reasonable expenses for network facilities and associated implementation costs by submitting detailed cost information to the Commission in a form prescribed by Commission policy. Reasonable costs to be reimbursed by an RPC may include trunking, database and other associated implementation costs. In determining the reasonableness of costs, the Commission may compare the costs being submitted for recovery by one WSP to the costs of other, similarly situated WSPs.

(g) RPC Requests for Information. An RPC may request additional information from a WSP, including but not limited to a description of WSP's network, database, equipment display requirements, training and accessibility elements, technical solutions, network diagrams, documented wireless 9-1-1 call set-up times, deployment plans and timelines, specific work plans, WSP network contingency and disaster recovery plans, escalation lists, trouble call response times, and wholesale/resale customer list.

Source Note: The provisions of this §251.10 adopted to be effective February 3, 2009, 34 TexReg 581; amended to be effective June 3, 2014, 39 TexReg 4235