NARUC Emphasizes Position on State Role in 911 Oversight

NARUC General Counsel Brad Ramsay emphasized the group’s continued position on 911 oversight -- that 911 service “is unquestionably an intrastate” telecom service that states must play a role in managing. His comments came during a meeting Monday with Daniel Alvarez, aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. The FCC “lacks the staff and financial resources” to protect consumers from 911 outages alone and “there is no reason to undermine State authority in this area,” Ramsay said Tuesday in an ex parte filing. “If the FCC’s intent is to coordinate with State authorities and assure maximum pressure and oversight on carriers to provide working and reliable E9-1-1 and other services, one option is to make crystal clear (in the text of the order) to all carriers that if a State asserts jurisdiction over or imposes rules to ensure reliability/service quality of E9-1-1 and related services, the FCC will strongly support the State action.”