2026 Agenda

Under Safer Buildings Coalition's "911 Inside" initiative, this session examines two critical indoor emergency communications challenges: wireless "dead zones" where 911 calls cannot be made due to coverage gaps, and difficulty accurately locating callers inside buildings when calls are possible. The Safer Buildings Coalition's comments on the FCC's 6th FNPRM (PS Docket No. 07-114) advocate that emergency location capability should not depend on where someone happens to be standing when they call for help. This session explores SBC's proposal to address "The Other Digital Divide: The One That Starts at the Building Wall" through device-based hybrid solutions that enhance existing network approaches, adding Height Above Ground Level (AGL) to Height Above Ellipsoid (HAE) measurements, and creating a National Indoor Wireless Coverage Map using existing market data. Speakers will discuss how modern smartphone sensors can provide incremental improvements complementing current infrastructure and examine SBC's evidence-based policy approach that follows the successful National Broadband Map model.

Takeaway

1. Two-part challenge: wireless dead zones preventing 911 calls vs. location accuracy when calls are possible
2. Device-based hybrid enhancements using existing smartphone sensors (barometric, accelerometers, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth beacons) to complement network infrastructure
3. AGL implementation as beneficial addition to HAE measurements for operational emergency response value
4. National Indoor Wireless Coverage Map proposal using existing carrier coverage models and crowdsourced data
5. Market-driven solutions leveraging current technology rather than requiring new government mandates or infrastructure replacement