The Federal Communications Commission launched an examination into the state of technology that can more precisely route wireless 911 calls to the proper 911 call center, which could result in faster response times during emergencies. Wireless 911 calls are typically routed to 911 call centers based on the location of the cell tower that handles the call. But in some cases—for example, if a 911 call is made near a county or a city border—the nearest cell tower may be in a neighboring jurisdiction. In these cases, the call is routed to a 911 call center in that neighboring jurisdiction, not the call center that serves the caller’s location. These wireless 911 calls must then be re-routed to the proper 911 call center, which can waste valuable time and resources during emergencies. In 2018, the FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry that sought comment on the feasibility of routing 911 calls based on the location of the caller as opposed to the location of the cell tower that handles that call. Since then, there have been several publicly announced advancements in location-based routing technology and some implementation of location-based routing on wireless networks. Now the FCC is seeking updated information on improvements to and implementation of location-based routing technologies; the frequency of misrouted wireless 911 calls; operations or industry standards to address the problem of misroutes; the feasibility of using location-based routing technologies for text-to-911; information on any interdependencies of location-based routing and Next Generation 911 in order to optimize emergency response; and how the Commission can facilitate improvements to wireless 911 call routing.

In a letter to Members of Congress on June 1, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that the FCC's Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program s application review process is well underway. The review to date has concluded that many of the applications the agency has received are materially deficient. This is typically because they lack an adequate cost estimate or sufficient supporting materials. The law requires the FCC to provide applicants an opportunity to cure these deficiencies and expressly provides for the extension of the June 15, 2022 application review deadline to allow for a cure period. Given the number of deficient applications, the FCC will not be able to issue funding allocations or determine true demand until the end of the statutory cure period. The FCC expects to complete its review within a matter of weeks once cured applications are filed. 

The FCC received 181 applications from 96 applicants containing $5.6 billion in gross demand for funding during the filing window. As a result of the review to date, gross cost estimate demand for the Program has been reduced from $5.6 billion to $5.3 billion. While the FCC anticipates there will be further reduction, the funds appropriated will remain less than the demand from applicants. This anticipated shortfall largely reflects three developments: first, that the Act, as amended, expanded the range of entities eligible to participate in the Reimbursement Program; second, that the preliminary cost estimates did not consider the full range of costs that were ultimately reimbursable under the law; and third, that providers have reported increased costs since the program was funded due to supply chain constraints, inflation, and the need to complete their projects within the Act’s one-year deadline.

In October 2021, Governor Jim Justice (R-WV) announced a billion-dollar strategy to bring broadband access to 200,000 homes and businesses in West Virginia. “We’ve been talking for years about how to fix the rural broadband problem. Now we’re finally going to do it," he said. The plan got a $136 million boost from the U.S. Department of Treasury on June 7, 2022. The funding will help expand high-speed broadband to 20,000 locations—10 percent of locations in the state that lack access to broadband. The American Rescue Plan provides $10 billion for payments to eligible governments to carry out critical capital projects that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the public health emergency. The Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (Capital Projects Fund) will help ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure needed to access critical services, including broadband. “I could not be any more appreciative of the Treasury for making our West Virginia Coronavirus Capital Project Fund one of the first four such plans approved,” said Gov. Justice. “Now it’s up to us to put these funds to good use bringing more of our communities into the 21st century and opening the door to a brighter future for our people.”