Next Generation 911

Next Generation 911 (abbreviated as NG911) is an initiative aimed at updating the 911 service infrastructure in the United States and Canada to improve public emergency communications services. NG911 requires carriers to implement emergency text messaging services (also known as "text-to-911") through which users can send messages, images, video, and location data to the 911 call center (referred to as a public safety answering point, or PSAP). The initiative also outlines future evolutions of emergency communications and data transfer. NG911 infrastructure is intended to replace the current generation Enhanced 911 infrastructure over time. The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) first identified the need for NG911 in 2000, with development starting in 2003. Since 2006, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in the United States and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in Canada have been leading their respective initiatives, which include research and development projects aimed at advancing NG911. On January 24, 2013, the CRTC announced the first step toward a Canadian implementation of NG911 and, in March 2016, began a consultation with the public to discuss what services should be offered, who will play a role in offering these services and how these services should be paid for. Several US states have implemented versions of NG911 as of October 2013.