On September 28, 2023, Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced that she was encouraging wireless carriers and industry associations to take necessary steps to identify and develop a 988 georouting solution that could be deployed in wireless networks nationwide within a reasonable time.
In a series of letters sent to nationwide carriers and mobile trade groups, the Chairwoman noted that mental health and crisis counseling experts recommend utilizing georouting to ensure the individuals calling 988 are connected to the geographically appropriate local crisis center and can receive life-saving services. The FCC estimates that over 80% of calls made to the 988 Lifeline are from wireless phones, and that often, callers are dialing 988 from outside the area code associated with their cell phone number. Since the current routing for 988 is based on the callers’ area code, many wireless callers are unable to access local resources they may need in a time of crisis.
The Chairwoman reported that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in conjunction with the 988 Lifeline, Vibrant, and other industry partners, successfully tested a method of routing wireless 988 calls to a crisis call center near the physical location of the caller rather than by the phone’s area code. This test, which did not involve real-time calls, explored a routing method that directs the caller to a 988 crisis call center based on cell tower location and wire-center boundaries but does not share the precise location of the caller with the 988 Lifeline.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel asks carriers to take necessary steps to identify and develop a 988 georouting solution that could be deployed in their networks within a reasonable time. She also asks that the carriers coordinate with SAMHSA and notes that staff from the Wireline Competition Bureau will begin reaching out to carriers to discuss their plans for a georouting solution.
Links to copies of the letters are included below:
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