CTIA, Members Seek Tweaks to Z-Axis FNPRM Set for a Vote Next Week

CTIA sought tweaks to the FCC draft Further NPRM that proposes carriers be required to identify a vertical location accuracy metric, also known as the z-axis, of plus or minus 3 meters for 80 percent of indoor wireless calls to 911. It's set for a vote by commissioners next week (see 1902220062). CTIA and Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint met Public Safety Bureau Deputy Chief David Furth and bureau staff, said a filing Wednesday in docket 07-114. “Further technology development and testing remains necessary to validate the accuracy of vertical location technology solutions to meet the FCC’s proposed metric … across regions, weather conditions and devices.” The association asked to modify a sentence in the draft requiring compliance with the standards, adding the words “as demonstrated in the test bed.” CTIA asked to seek comment “on ways to ensure that the rules maintain flexibility and technological neutrality so that … providers can adopt any solutions that meet the proposed metric and corresponding Commission rules.” The group noted another round of vertical-accuracy testing is underway in the industry’s location technologies test bed (see 1902260064). “Given the ongoing evolution of vertical location solutions, the participants urged the Commission to encourage all z-axis technology solutions vendors to participate in Stage Za,” the filing said.