Wireless SubCommittee Minutes

Wireless SubCommittee Minutes

of the

E911 Advisory Committee

King County E911 Office

7300 Perimeter Road South, Seattle

August 20, 1997 – 9 a.m.

Special Note: The State E911 Advisory Committee meeting initially scheduled for the afternoon of September 18 has been canceled and rescheduled for the morning of September 25. You are welcome to attend the Advisory Committee meeting.

Present: Marlys Davis, Wireless Committee Chair, King County; Allen Jakobitz, Bob Oenning, Ken Back and Penelope Christopherson, State E911 Office; David Griffith, UTC; Doug Gehrke, US West; Rod Proctor, Proctor & Associates; Lynn Mell, XYPOINT; Vanessa Pegueros, Nextel; Al Kear, GTE; Dave Stachelski, GTE NW; Joe Blaschka, ADCOMM; Chuck Orr, Sprint PCS; Ross Baker, AT&T Wireless; Mel Boston, CENCOM. Conference Call Attendees: Thera Bradshaw, Clark Co.; Darold Whitmer, SCC.

1. Approval of July 24, 1997 meeting minutes

Approved with no comment.

2. Report on Update of Wireless Carrier Information

Allen Jakobitz updated the existing handout, Wireless Company Contacts for Phase 1, and prepared a second handout requested at the previous meeting, Washington State Routers and Mobile Switching Centers, which were then distributed. He stated he received information from all wireless carriers with the exception of GTE.

3. Update on Projected Phase I Costs

Marlys Davis distributed the handout, Phase I Costs for 1998-Estimate Only. Marlys indicated that she changed the subject heading on page 1 under Estimated Phase 1 Service Costs from Wireless Admin. to Wireless Operational, Admin. and Transport. Phase I implementation costs statewide look more like $4 million than $2 million, applying US West and AirTouch pricing throughout the state. The last page of the three-page document calculated King County costs, and compares countywide costs using US West/AirTouch pricing versus AT&T pricing.

Bob Oenning asked the question, AHow many wireless subscribers are there in Washington state?@ He said it was difficult getting a handle on the numbers. AirTouch gives a figure projected across the state as equal to the state=s population. He said AirTouch projects 20 cents per person for Phase I implementation and 28 cents average statewide on three years. Oenning said it is difficult projecting costs until we can obtain the number of subscribers. When the state E911 Office requested counties to inform us on how many wireless subscribers they have, only two counties reported. The State wants the wireless carriers to help with the counts – -inform us on how many projected subscribers there will be statewide for activation of both Phases.

Thera Bradshaw indicated that we should use an RFI to request this information from the wireless carriers to come up with costs for each county. It was determined that the wireless subcommittee would request information from the the local wireless carrier representative, assuring that the information will remain confidential. The projected subscriber count for the next five years will be requested. A letter would be used first (instead of a RFI) due to the short time line for response. Marlys would draft the letter with a two-week turnaround to come up with cost projections for Phase I to set the tax rate.

Bob Oenning brought up another issue. He informed the group that the State of Washington will be going out on bid to wireless carriers for a master contract for wireless services. In the contract for the wireless services will be a clause saying the wireless carrier must certify it can provide ANI. ANI cannot be waived. The State should know within 30 days who is awarded that bid. The bid will continue the base level of service for existing cellular phones. In January another bid package will go out asking for more advanced technologies.

4. Discussion on Projected Costs of Phase II Service and 911 Network Upgrades

A 10-page draft document, Cellular Location Estimates in Washington State, which was distributed at the July 24 wireless committee meeting, was distributed again. This document can be found on Internet on the NENA website (www.nena9-1-1.org/washington/cellfram.html).

In reference to the basis of estimates beginning on page 4, the following changes were made to the document:

• AirTouch at the last meeting indicated that the mobile switching center figures (MSC) were quite low and should be projected out at $200,000 for each MSC.
• GTE indicated that the cell site improvement costs should decrease by about one-half. Recalculate the cost of $25,000 per cell site cost.
• Trunking within wireless network: GTE will charge the customer, not the PSAP. The worst case scenario would be another T1, but what is existing would be fine. $5,000 per site is the high end.
• E911 Tandem Routing upgrades: Replacing the tandem and 50% of replacement would be borne by wireless carriers. The best guess is $300,000 per tandem. Take out the seven switches x $1.5 mil.
• Wireless Carrier Data Systems: Leave it alone, to be determined later.
• Trunking to PSAPs: Change from 78 PSAPS to 90 PSAPS.
• PSAP Equipment Upgrades: Joe Blaschka, ADCOMM, will work up line items with Bob Oenning. This could be a significant number as 90 PSAPS in the state will be fully enhanced.
• Mapping: Allen Jakobitz will work with Bob Oenning to determine how accurate we want the map to be — accuracy drives the cost of the technology.
• Inter-System Links: Okay for now, it=s a guesstimate.
• Number of Customers: Bob Oenning will finish the count in the next few weeks. Experts say that wireless use will have a 50-55% penetration by the year 2001. These figures are based on subscribers, not phone sets.

Allen Jakobitz asked if taxes should be designated for state and local collection. It was determined that based on existing state legislation, the taxes should be collected at both the county and state level. Further, the same tax rate will be applied across all technologies, not broken out into wired and wireless categories.

Marlys Davis had earlier distributed three handouts from the 1997 National APCO Conference held last week: a SCC News Release, AT&T Wireless Services E911 and AT&T Wireless Services, Financial Cost Recovery documents, which were now discussed by Ross Baker, AT&T Wireless Services, and Darold Whitmer, SCC.

Darold Whitmer, SCC, referred to the AT&T pricing at the bottom of the last page of Phase I Costs for 1998. He indicated the network costs ($2.38/installation for subscriber; $.30/month) include technology that supports Phase II. The costs include database management and are based on a national number, not Washington specifically. SCC will provide ANI at no cost to Washington until the tax changes to support it. Darold indicated that the $2.38 will change year-to-year. It may be a one-time fee, with a first pass for the first 400,000 subscribers. It will be used to recoup costs to turn up services. He described the approach as a Phase II infrastructure, providing Phase I.

5. 1998 Legislation Discussion

Marlys Davis distributed a 8/20/97 initial draft of proposed legislation (RCW 38.52) for the 1998 legislative session. The proposed legislation takes away the distinction between wireline and wireless. A definition section will be added for ALI and ANI. On page 7 under 82.14B.030, language needs to be added to audit the 911 taxes.

Marlys Davis asked for interest of members of the wireless committee in serving on a subcommittee to work the legislation. Dave Griffiths, UTC, volunteered.

Marlys Davis asked the wireless carriers to talk with their legal counsel and get comments back to Ken Back, State E911 Office, by September 5.

The question was asked if anyone was aware of any opposition to the proposed tax increases and to the proposed legislation other than TRACER. King County indicated it was working with their county lobbyists and will soon be pulling in other large counties.

Allen Jakobitz indicated that the Coordinator=s Forum will be held September 5 in Republic and a major focus of that meeting will be the wireless issue. The following people will be speaking to the issue: Lynn Mell, XYPOINT, will be presenting the FCC mandate; Charlie Van Zandt, how wireless 911 is delivered (generic, not company-specific); Marlys will talk on what is happening now; and Ken Back will address what to do to support Phase I before taxes go into effect.

7. Report from UW West on Phase I Interconnection

Gehrke reported that in Clark County CellTrace is being used with ANI only. Cell Trace will be installed in Seattle by the end of August and in Spokane, Tacoma, Bremerton, Yakima and Pasco by October-November. This service should be available across state by the year=s end.

8. Report from GTE on Phase I Interconnection

Al Kear distributed three handouts: GTE/Wireless Contract Price; Oregon Wireless Trial; and, Wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 Agreement.

Referring to the GTE/Wireless Contract Price, Al Kear indicated these were county charges in #1. On item #2, it=s a monthly recurring charge to the cell, not to the county. Under #4, ALI Gateway Service, provide data to pANI customer. Under #5, 911 Interoffice Trunk, these are Feature Group D and T1 tariffed items. $181.43 NRC; $51.68 MRC. #6 ALI Database: MSAG/clean data: MRC .0475; NRC .04665; #7 Selective Router Database per Record Charge: NRC .13610; MRC .00520. GTE anticipates router in four-to-five location by year=s end.

Kear explained that a XYPOINT connection needs to be added to the Oregon Wireless Trial with a Motorola PSAP off selective router in Salem.

The Wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 Agreement is a sample agreement between GTE and the Wireless Carrier to provide service.

9. Report from Wireless Companies on Delivery of Phase I Service

Sprint, Chuck Orr: Should know something by the end of the month. A corporate representative will come to the next committee meeting.

Nextel, Vanessa Pegueros: Marlys reported for Vanessa. She stated there was not too much happening yet at the corporate level.

AT&T Wireless, Ross Baker: Nothing to add to earlier report.

AirTouch: not represented.

GTE Wireless, Dave Stachelski: waiting for US West=s Feature Group D for work to begin.

10. Report on Status of NENA standards for ALI Screen

The standards are not yet finalized. The NENA standard for display is dependent on CPE and CAD systems being in place for Phase I. Darold Whitmer, SCC, will follow on the status.

11. Update from Wireless Companies on Which Counties in Washington State Have Ordered Phase I Service

Allen Jakobitz referred the committee to the Adots@ on the handout he had distributed earlier, Wireless Company Contacts for Phase 1. The Adots@ indicated which counties have ordered service.

Other

• Marlys Davis reported that AT&T and GTE Wireless were going to provide her with contact names to work on the Security subcommittee, and she has not yet heard from them. AirTouch has already provided a contact, and PSAP representatives are being identified.
• Marlys asked for review and comment on the wireless fact sheet distributed at the 7/24 meeting.
• Penelope Christopherson distributed a listing of wireless acronyms for feedback. Ross Baker indicated he would provide the State E911 Office with an acronym list already developed by AT&T.

The next meeting is scheduled at the King County 911 Office at the King County Airport, 7300 Perimeter Road, South, Seattle on Thursday, September 18, 1997 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Future meetings will be held from 9 to 12 at the King County 911 Office on October 16, November 13 and December 11.

Assignments Made

• AT&T and GTE Wireless will forward a contact to Marlys to serve on the wireless subcommittee dealing with security issues.
• Darold Whitmer, SCC, will follow on NENA standards for ALI.
• Submit comments on the draft wireless fact sheet distributed at the meeting to Penelope Christopherson of the State E911 Office.
• Submit comments on draft legislation distributed at the meeting to Ken Back of the State E911 Office by September 5.