The requirement that Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) be able to locate 911 calls made from cellular phones was mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1996. At present, few areas have deployed wireless 911 location capabilities. This study explored cellular and location technologies, barriers to implementation, federal and state legislation driving E911 location services, and the current status of wireless 911 location deployment across the United States.; The status of wireless 911 location deployment in North Carolina was assessed via a questionnaire that was sent to all the PSAPs in the state of North Carolina. The study explores the concept of a centralized Internet-based statewide system as a possible solution to expedite location deployment. Interest in a statewide system was ascertained for PSAPs with and without the Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) and Electronic Mapping via Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capabilities that enable 911 location. An analysis of the study results yielded information on the commonality of vendor usage by region and metropolitan region within the state of North Carolina.
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