FCC Chairman Genachowski recently announced plans to improve the deployment of Next Generation 911, or NG911, which will allow the answering system to receive emergency-related texts, photos, videos, and geo-location data. It will give more people access to the emergency service, and it will also give people the option to stealthy access emergency services when calling is not an option.

911 services are not national programs. They are created by local cities and counties, so ensuring consistent equipment and capabilities will definitely be a challenge for the FCC over the next five to ten years. However, our digital age warrants the solution. Still, the change will likely bring an entirely new batch of problems.