Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to-911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications

In this document, the Commission requires all commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers and providers of interconnected text messaging services (i.e., all providers of software applications that enable a consumer to send text messages to all or substantially all text-capable U.S. telephone numbers and receive text messages from the same) to provide an automatic "bounce-back" text message where a consumer attempts to send a text message to 911 in a location where text-to-911 is not available. The rules are adopted with the goal of reducing the risk of individuals sending text messages to 911 during an emergency and mistakenly believing that 911 authorities had received it, particularly during the transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911), when text-to-911 will be available in some areas sooner than others and may be supported by certain service providers but not by others.