House Lawmakers Push for Upgraded 911 Networks

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2025 – House lawmakers convened Thursday to explore a series of bills aimed at modernizing the nation’s emergency communications infrastructure.

One proposal, the Next Generation 911 Act, introduced by Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., alongside Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Richard Hudson, R-N.C., on Dec. 9 drew broad support from lawmakers and industry witnesses.

The bill would establish a federal grant program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to help transition legacy 911 call centers to internet protocol-based Next Generation 911 systems nationwide, while also creating a national NG911 cybersecurity center and advisory board. However, support for other legislation was more divided. 

The panel convened for Thursday’s House Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing, chaired by Hudson, weighed the merits of bills proposing to bolster satellite and wireless emergency communications, create new reporting requirements for the Federal Communications Commission, and other priorities.

Lawmakers heard testimony from a public safety official, wireless and satellite industry representatives, and an emergency communications expert. 

Mystic Alert Act would expand satellite alerts

The hearing saw two measures, introduced by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, considered. The first, the Mystic Alert Act, would allow providers of commercial mobile service to transmit emergency alerts by satellite, supplementing traditional wireless networks. The second bill would prohibit certain private land-use restrictions from limiting amateur satellite antennas.

Witness Jennifer Manner, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at AST SpaceMobile, testified in support of the Mystic Act, citing the devastating flooding in Texas on July 4, where more than 130 people lost their lives and emergency services were overwhelmed by hundreds of 911 calls for help.

“We never want to see a day again in Texas or anywhere in America like we did then,” Manner said, representing the Midland based company. 

“The AST SpaceMobile network will not only provide service where the terrestrial network does not exist, but also supplement the wireless networks of our partners AT&T, Verizon and FirstNet where coverage is inadequate,” Manner said.

Testifying on behalf of CTIA, Matthew Gerst, partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, emphasized the central role of wireless networks in public safety, noting that four out of five 911 calls originate on wireless devices.

He highlighted the industry’s investments in network resiliency, including backup power at critical cell sites, deployment of portable “Flying COWs,” and expanded fiber backhaul connections to maintain connectivity during disasters. 

He also underscored the importance of wireless emergency alerts in keeping the public safe, a topic Dr. Jeannette Sutton, associate professor at the University at Albany, offered more critical perspective on.

Experts warn of alert fatigue and accessibility gaps

Drawing on more than 70 years of social and behavioral research, Sutton noted that fewer than 9 percent of wireless emergency alerts issued from 2012 to 2022 contained all five elements necessary to motivate public action: source, hazard, location, time, and guidance.

She argued in testimony that gaps in requirements, lack of national standards, and limited training for alert originators contributed to over-alerting, confusion, and “warning fatigue.” Sutton said Texas was the state where the highest percent of residents choose to opt-out of receiving emergency alerts.

The hearing also explored the role of artificial intelligence in emergency alerts, with witnesses offering differing views on its use for language translations.

“We are not currently using AI, but we are planning to, and one of the most important ways is for translation of foreign languages,” said Jack Varnado, president of APCO International and 911 director of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, responding to a question from Guthrie. 

Sutton countered that current strategies for translation were limited.

“We do not have good strategies for translation to other languages. While AI solutions have been proposed, a more reliable strategy is to have in-office personnel who have the ability to do that translation activity,” she said.

You're raising [a question] that's very important and very difficult for local emergency managers to address,” she said, responding to a question from Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., on how to make emergency alerts more accessible.

Sutton recommended additional research, national messaging standards, and software prompts for alert originators to improve message effectiveness.

Wireless and satellite representatives also voiced support for the Public Safety Communications Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Kat Cammack, which drew opposition from two public safety organizations.

Public safety groups push back on Cammack bill

The Fraternal Order of Police and the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association both submitted letters opposing Cammack’s bill. They argued the bill would insert the NTIA as an additional federal manager over the board which governs FirstNet, the network created by Congress in 2012 to ensure emergency personnel have reliable, interoperable communication during emergencies.

“Any changes to the governance of FirstNet absolutely must include input and consultation with the public safety community,” a letter submitted to Guthrie and Rep. Frank Pallone, by FOP President Patrick Yoes states. “On behalf of the 382,000 members of the FOP, I urge the Committee to reject these provisions and instead prioritize the reauthorization of FirstNet under its current Governance.”

The FCC was simultaneously advancing efforts to modernize emergency communications, including a rulemaking to support NG911 deployment nationwide.

On Dec. 10, the agency adopted new multilingual wireless emergency alert rules that will require participating mobile providers to support alert templates in English, 13 other commonly spoken languages and American Sign Language.