2024 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR EVALUATION OF ADDRESS-BASED TECHNOLOGIES BY THE 9-1-1 LOCATION TECHNOLOGIES INDOOR TEST BED

The 9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed LLC (the “Test Bed LLC”) invites U.S. vendors of new or emerging location information technologies that produce a reliable in-building ‘Address Response’ for 9-1-1 calls to provide technology information to the 9-1-1 Location Technologies Indoor Test Bed (‘Test Bed’) for a technical evaluation. Pursuant to the technology evaluation, the Test Bed may invite one or more vendors to participate in a future Stage 2 field test in multiple regions across the country, subject to the technology’s operational readiness and vendor’s ability to meet the technical and financial applicability requirements of a Stage 2 test campaign. Further details and timeline for a Stage 2 campaign have not been determined; these are dependent on the results of the technical evaluation exercise being triggered by this RFI. In case the technology vendor solution is not ready for an evaluation at this time, the vendor is encouraged to proactively contact the Test Bed to help inform future testing plans.

Background: The Test Bed has previously conducted large-scale testing of commercially available device-based hybrid (“DBH”) horizontal (X and Y axes) and vertical (z-axis) location technology solutions, as deployed in nationwide wireless provider networks, to determine their performance versus the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) accuracy metrics as described in the FCC’s rules and relevant Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements orders¹.

Test Bed LLC is interested in exploring scalable “dispatchable location” (‘DL’) technologies which can reliably provide an alternate to or reliably supplement the current positioning solutions involving latitude/longitude and vertical positioning. The DL response can be conveyed with 911 calls so that an emergency communications center (‘ECC’) will receive the caller's location automatically and can dispatch responders quickly and accurately locate the caller. Dispatchable location information includes the street address of the caller and additional information, such as a residential unit number OR a room or floor number for commercial buildings, or similar information necessary to adequately identify the location of the calling party as quickly as possible. At a minimum, in lieu of a DL with a unit number in multi-story buildings, the technology should provide an accurate civic address with the floor number of the caller.

2024 RFI Evaluation Timeline

Technical evaluations of the responses to this RFI are planned to begin on July 12, 2024 and will conclude by September 13, 2024, depending on the number of vendor responses and complexity of the technologies being evaluated. All responses will be reviewed by the Test Bed LLC’s Program Manager and Technical Advisory Committee ("TAC").

The vendor respondent may request a non-disclosure agreement, which will need to be executed prior to June 14, 2024. The vendor is requested to plan accordingly.

Evaluation Criteria

RFI responses will be evaluated against criteria designed to assess the readiness and maturity of the technology to provide a reliable and scalable in-building address response for 9-1-1 calls in the context of a complete dispatchable location or other address-based solutions. The criteria were selected by the Test Bed’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and have been used to assess vendor readiness for prior Test Bed campaigns and RFI responses. The criteria below do not comprise an exhaustive list but are intended to provide guidance for those who may respond to the RFI. Please note that the criteria can be modified by the Test Bed TAC without notice. The respondent is encouraged to provide full details of their solution with regards to the implementation, geographic scalability and real-world operational maturity of their technology.

• Is the solution architecture and the technology’s general concept of operation well understood?
• Is the solution scalable to essentially all wireless 9-1-1 callers and readily extensible to the entire US?
• Does the solution cover all handsets including legacy handsets?
• If not, which handsets are excluded (e.g., specific vintage of mobile operating system)?
• Are there roadblocks to the broad implementation and availability of the solution?
• Does the solution’s complexity suggest implementation risk?
• Which standards does the solution employ?
• Would the solution require additional standardization efforts?
• Is the technology commercially available today?
• Has the solution previously been tested and verified in the field?
• Is this technology promising based on prior history of evaluation?
• To what extent is the technology in its current state testable in the framework of the Test Bed?
Note:
• Test Bed Primary Test Areas: Atlanta, San Franciso and Chicago regions
• Test Bed Supplemental Cities: Houston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Seattle
• Are there complexities that would make testing the solution in the Test Bed not feasible in a realistic timeframe?
• Does the solution provide for ensuring integrity of data?

Response Instructions and Questions

Any party interested in responding to the RFI should send an email to Mr. Harish Punjabi at hpunjabi@911locationtestbed.org from a company email account.

All questions regarding the RFI and the proposed technical evaluation should be emailed to Mr. Harish Punjabi at hpunjabi@911locationtestbed.org no later than May 17, 2024.

Contact Information

All inquiries should be directed to:

Mr. Harish Punjabi
Email: hpunjabi@911locationtestbed.org
Telephone: 202.736.2987
9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed, LLC
1400 16th Street NW, Suite 600
Washington DC 20036

Test Bed LLC – Background:

In 2015, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules² that require the nationwide wireless providers to establish an independently administered and transparent indoor test bed to test and verify that location technologies are capable of meeting the Commission’s new location accuracy requirements for wireless calls to 9-1-1 emergency services. (See paragraphs 121 to 132 of the FCC’s Fourth Order). In accordance with the FCC’s Fourth Order, the test bed must also be available to vendors of new or emerging location technologies that can demonstrate how those technologies might enable wireless providers to meet the new enhanced location accuracy requirements through improved horizontal location technologies or providing accurate vertical information (e.g., z axis).

At the direction of its member companies, CTIA established the 9-1-1 Location Technologies Test Bed, LLC (Test Bed LLC) as an independent company to administer and operate the indoor Test Bed consistent with the FCC’s rules. The Test Bed LLC selected a vendor as the Test Bed program manager, and another vendor to administer and execute the Test Bed. The Test Bed LLC and Test Bed are modeled on the FCC’s CSRIC III and IV methodologies and recommendations and is established consistent with relevant FCC’s Orders.

Test Bed LLC has also directed the Program Manager and Administrator/Executor to implement the Test Bed consistent with the recommendations of ATIS’ Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ESIF) Emergency Services & Methodologies (ESM) Subcommittee which has and continues to develop the requisite test methodologies through a collaborative multi-stakeholder process.

Wireless providers and vendors of indoor location technologies are encouraged to participate in the Test Bed by periodically visiting this website for important announcements, or by contacting the contact person above to obtain information regarding upcoming events.