New 911 expected to boost phone bills

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This article was published 08/09/2016 (3505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Upcoming changes to make 911 services more cellphone-friendly could mean a new government fee attached to your phone bill.

The province is slowly moving toward the so-called next-generation 911, which would see Manitobans be able to send texts, videos and pictures to 911 operators.

The overhaul isn’t going to be cheap.

A briefing note given to Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen following the April election states planned technological changes to 911 will lead to a 30 to 40 per cent increase in operating and capital costs for 911 service providers such as the Winnipeg Police Service and the City of Brandon.

“Increased capital costs will occur for the NG911 technology itself and a 30 to 40 per cent increase in operating costs associated with the management of the much greater amount of incoming data,” states the April 25 briefing note.

Staff Sgt. Gord Spado of the Winnipeg Police Service says the 911 community — made up of advocates and 911 service providers — has proposed a funding model to the province’s Emergency Measures Organization modelled after seven other provinces. Those provinces tack on a monthly government fee to all cellphone and landline users’ bills that goes directly to help fund 911 service providers and their salaries.

Charges in those provinces range from 43 cents a month in Nova Scotia to 75 cents in Newfoundland and Labrador. Ontario and British Columbia are the only other provinces that don’t charge a government fee on users’ phone bills.

“Technology is changing all the time, next-generation is a concept where people are going to be able to contact emergency services in a variety of different ways as opposed to a traditional telephone line, and that means sending in videos, texts and a lot more data can be exchanged,” said Spado, a certified emergency number professional.

“There are times when voice call isn’t the safest, you’re the subject of a home invasion you don’t really want to talk on the phone… all people, all devices, all the time.”

This additional levy would have to be legislated by the province.

A recent review of 911 services by the province includes the move toward next-generation 911 and will consider funding models such as a government levy.

Federal tariffs currently collected for 911 services go to Manitoba Telecom Services to support 911 infrastructure .

Pedersen said his government is considering the review.

On top of additional staff needed to process the extra data, it will also mean a serious overhaul of telephone infrastructure to replace 911 centres from an analog system to a digital-friendly Emergency Services IP Network.

This overhaul will increase accuracy in locating callers using mobile devices because it gives dispatchers a “map-based” system to use as opposed to a grid, Spado said.

A timeline for when the changes would be rolled out in Manitoba has not been set, but Spado said a national coalition of advocates is attempting to spearhead getting next-generation 911 across the country.

The target is to have a national framework by 2020.

The CRTC, which regulates the telecommunications carriers that direct and connect 911 calls, is in consultations ahead of a establishing a regulatory framework for the new 911 system.

“(In) five years, it would probably be realistic to have a solid road map for implementation,” Spado said, adding it depends on how quick telephone companies are able to build the infrastructure needed for the transition.

However, Spado said the province could begin legislating the new tariff, “whenever they think it is a good idea to endorse it.”

“Is it being considered? Sure it is, but at the end of the day it is the (minister who) has to make the call,” Spado said.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca