Key Problems & Focuses
There’s more work to be done to ensure NG911 interoperability across all NG911 systems.
Right now, vendors can interpret the i3 standard enough so that heterogeneous solutions aren’t truly interoperable. This means that there is no guarantee that one NG911 i3-compliant system will talk to another system from a different vendor. So while NG911 adoption continues to spread, these NG911 systems don’t necessarily work together like they should.
The Task Force will agree on key profiles that eliminate the vagueness of the i3 standard, working with all stakeholders including NENA and other relevant standards bodies. These updated standards will be widely available.
As the i3 standard is refined, and vendors adjust to the clarifications, the industry needs to know that these solutions will, in fact, work together BEFORE they are deployed live as the backbone of emergency communications. Right now, there is no testing available to ensure that:
- A NG911 system strictly adheres to the i3 standard (conformance testing)
- Two NG911 solutions can transfer digital/next-gen information via the spec as intended, without additional customization (interoperability)
- The entire NG911 ecosystem works as intended, from the initial 911 call to the first responder on scene (end-to-end testing)
The Task Force plans to develop scripts and tools that will test for those profiles and provide them for free to the widespread vendor community via open source. The Task Force also plans to create third-party test labs for testing compliance and will review the results with a reputable body.
Room for Interpretation in the i3 Standard
There’s more work to be done to ensure NG911 interoperability across all NG911 systems.
Right now, vendors can interpret the i3 standard enough so that heterogeneous solutions aren’t truly interoperable. This means that there is no guarantee that one NG911 i3-compliant system will talk to another system from a different vendor. So while NG911 adoption continues to spread, these NG911 systems don’t necessarily work together like they should.
The
As the i3 standard is refined, and vendors adjust to the clarifications, the industry needs to know that these solutions will, in fact, work together BEFORE they are deployed live as the backbone of emergency communications. The goal of the Task Force is to
NG911 Conformance Test Program
The purpose of this task force is to work to resolve gaps and provide the baseline for a NG 911 Testing Program that meets the needs of all stakeholders.
By providing one-stop open-source testing tools, the NG911 Conformance Test Program will promote consistent, interoperable interpretation of standards, including a conformance testing lab that will independently certify implementations are based on standards. In an unbiased environment, we can test end-to-end interoperability and component-level interoperability in a supervised test laboratory, and we can test solution-independent interoperability.
The Path to Interoperability
For Public Safety to reap the benefits of next generation 911 (NG911), interoperability within and between NG911 systems is crucial. There are two major steps to ensuring this type of interoperability:
Internationally and in the United States, standards promulgated by Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) such as IETF, NENA, ATIS, and others are being adopted and employed for NG911 systems.
System testing is critical. However, there is currently no test plan in place by any SDO or independent group, and no certification process to verify end-to-end interoperability.
The NG911 community agrees on the need for a cost-effective, equitable, and multistakeholder conformance test program.
NG911 Conformance Test Program
The purpose of this task force is to work to resolve gaps and provide the baseline for a NG 911 Testing Program that meets the needs of all stakeholders.
By providing one-stop open-source testing tools, the NG911 Conformance Test Program will promote consistent, interoperable interpretation of standards, including a conformance testing lab that will independently certify implementations are based on standards. In an unbiased environment, we can test end-to-end interoperability and component-level interoperability in a supervised test laboratory, and we can test solution-independent interoperability.
