NG911 Interoperability Testing Program
Research Team Leadership
- PI: Dr. Walt Magnussen
- Principal Investigator: DarkoMarinov
- Co-Principal Investigator: Barbara Endicott-Popovsky
- Subject Matter Expert: Scott Sotebeer Collaborator
- Project Manager: Jose Medina Cruz
The Homeland Security Challenge
In 2004, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) began the process of transitioning to Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems. Some requirements included that the systems be Internet Protocol Based and that they would support multi-media (voice, video, text, etc.). This new vision requires that equipment from different vendors be interoperable with one another. CIRI has been selected by DHS and the Department of Transportation to engage with NG911 stakeholders to develop a framework and process for testing the compatibility of NG911 systems and components.
COE Solution
In order to achieve the goals of the project, CIRI researchers must work in close collaboration with NG911 stakeholders to identify the crucial elements of interoperability. CIRI’s research and testing includes three major components: to seek consensus on requirements for interoperability, to identify technical means for conducting interoperability testing, and to identify a sustainable business model for interoperability testing. A testing framework will be designed to address requirements, which will form the basis of the team’s recommendations to DHS and DoT. Establishing a robust, scalable, and sustainable process for ensuring interoperability of NG911 systems will facilitate a strong and competitive market for such systems, thereby enhancing innovation and lowering costs for the municipalities deploying and operating the systems.