FCC Mandated Requirements for E911 Call Location


Network-based solutions

  • Accuracy requirement: Within 100m for 67% of cases, within 300m for 95% of cases
  • Deployment timeline: Respond to PSAP Phase II requests with 50% coverage of the area or population within six months. Tier I carriers must cover the remaining 50% within the next six months. Tier II and Tier III carriers have a full year to comply for the remaining 50%.

Handset-based solutions

  • Accuracy requirement: Within 50m for 67% of cases, within 150m for 95% of cases
  • Deployment timeline: 95% of the carrier's customer base must have handsets equipped with the selected location technology by Dec. 31, 2005

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results summary.

Polaris Products

Polaris currently supports GSM and IS-136 TDMA and plans to offer a CDMA product in 2005.

Three software components installed on standard servers are required to operate the Polaris WLS™ product.

The Location Engine

The Location Engine processes location requests initiated by the handset user or services client. By comparing radio parameter values reported by the handset to those in the established database and using proprietary algorithms in a pattern matching approach, the Location Engine accurately determines handset location.

The Predicted Signature Database (PSD) Manager

The PSD Manager creates and maintains the database that maps the wireless network's RF environment according to terrain, clutter, buildings, frequency plan and field-measured signal strengths. The PSD Manager automatically updates the PSD during radio network changes to the frequency plan. It also tracks and reports PSD anomalies, triggering the use of the PSD Toolkit to refresh the database to maintain accuracy.

The Predicted Signature Database Toolkit

When physical changes, such as new base stations or new buildings occur, then the Toolkit updates the network model (PSD) that serves as the foundation for ensuring location accuracy. The Toolkit is an offline environment used by network engineers to plan the location system deployment, test for accuracy and tune the model prior to updating the database.

The Polaris Difference


Assured accuracy

With its patented suite of sophisticated algorithms, Polaris software delivers location accuracy on the order of 50 to 100 meters, even in the most challenging dense urban environments. The Polaris technology meets FCC E911 Phase II requirements.

Fast, ubiquitous coverage

With the software only Polaris WLS™ product, carriers can deploy a city, a state or every site in the network quickly, with coverage for the entire customer base. Polaris WLS™ product only requires standard interfaces to core network elements.

Unsurpassed reliability

Polaris technology is as reliable as the network itself. It runs on standard servers that are transparent to normal network operation. It is highly fault tolerant and can be configured for full redundancy to achieve > 99.999% availability under all conditions. Polaris can determine location for every digital call placed on GSM and IS136 TDMA networks, with 100% location yield.

Significant savings

Carriers cut capital expenditures by investing in a software license and off-the-shelf servers, not in custom radio hardware and handsets.No additional radio network hardware. No handset changes. The result is minimal incremental cost for complete network coverage and tens of thousands of dollars saved per cell site.