Comments due: December 20, 2024
Reply Comments due: January 9, 2025
At its October 2024 Open Meeting, the FCC adopted a Third Report and Order (988 Georouting Order) to require “georouting” of mobile voice calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Georouting solutions use the general location of a mobile device to direct the call to the nearest crisis center, rather than the area code of the device’s telephone number, which may not correspond to the physical location of the caller.
The FCC also adopted a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, proposing that covered text providers also use a georouting solution for delivery of covered 988 text messages. A covered 988 text message includes short message service (SMS) text messages to 988.
On November 20, 2024, the FCC released a Public Notice setting the dates for compliance with the georouting rules and for filing comments on the proposal to require georouting for covered 988 text messages. Nationwide CMRS providers must comply with the 988 georouting call rules adopted in the 988 Georouting Order no later than January 13, 2025, and all CMRS providers must comply no later than December 14, 2026.
Interested parties may file comments on the Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by accessing the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings. All filings must reference WC Docket No. 18-336. People with disabilities who need assistance to file comments online may request assistance by email to FCC504@fcc.gov.
Link to Public Notice:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/wcb-announces-dates-988-georouting-proceeding
Link to Third Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-rules-requiring-georouting-all-wireless-calls-988-0
More information about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available at: www.fcc.gov/988 or https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/for-deaf-hard-of-hearing/. For further information, please contact Merry Wulff, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1084, or Merry.Wulff@fcc.gov. Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone).