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State’s Emergency Communications System clears 1st update phase

NG911 move to digital will mean more reliable service for Tennesseans

Tennessee Division of Consumer AffairsNashville, TN – The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) announced today that the first phase of the state’s conversion to Next Generation 911 (NG911) is complete. The core infrastructure that will allow individual 911 centers to connect to NG911 has been built and is ready for testing.

“The completion of Phase I of the NG911 project is a significant milestone,” said TECB Chair Randy Porter. “We want to thank our partners at AT&T and TCS for their efficient and effective work. We’re now ready to test the core and move forward with the next phase – connecting local 911 centers to the core.”


 
NG911 is essentially a digital version of 911 transmitted over the State of Tennessee’s existing statewide Internet Protocol (IP) network, NetTN. The conversion is similar to converting televisions from analog to digital. In this case, 911 trunks are being converted from antiquated, copper-wire technology to the latest in digital communications capability.

“NG911 will mean more reliable 911 services for our citizens,” said TECB Executive Director Lynn Questell. “It will allow for uninterrupted service in the case of power outages and other disasters that may knock out a 911 center. Call transfers will be seamless and the system will have 100 percent redundancy – essentially meaning that if one center goes out, a fully functioning backup will be available. The bottom line is NG911 will mean the very best technology is being deployed to keep Tennessee citizens safe.”

The core infrastructure of the NG911 network includes four centers to aggregate emergency communications traffic. These centers are in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. Additionally, two centers provide traffic routing of 911 calls. The building of this infrastructure is now complete and testing will begin in October. Once testing is complete and the results are satisfactory, individual 911 centers will be connected to the NG911 network and their connections will be tested.

The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board ensures that every citizen can effectively access the life-saving power of 911. The TECB is composed of nine members from across the state of Tennessee – including five 911 professionals and representatives of cities, counties and the general public. It is administratively attached to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee. www.tn.gov/commerce/

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