Wireless operators have eight years to make location tracking during E911 calls more accurate under new FCC regulations published yesterday.

By 2019, 911 call centers must be able to determine a device's location within 50 to 150 meters. This will likely require operators to equip phones with technology such as GPS to ensure a greater level of location accuracy.

The order does not state which percentage of phones will have to comply with the new standard. However, 90 percent of wireless calls must be able to pinpoint a 911 caller's location within 150 meters by 2019, an FCC spokeswoman said.

The new handset-based tracking system will replace a less-accurate network-based method of determining a 911 caller's location, which can only track a device to within 100 to 300 meters. Carriers can still use the network-based system, but must bring it into compliance with the new accuracy standards.

The FCC is also looking for comment on improving the availability of 911 and location tracking for VoIP calls.

The Rural Cellular Association (RCA) expressed some concerns over the new regulations, stating that implementing the new rules could be a burden to some of the smaller operators it represents.

"It will be very difficult for competitive carriers to achieve the new E911 location accuracy requirements adopted by the FCC on Tuesday," RCA President and CEO Steve Berry said in a statement.

Berry argued that device exclusivity deals with larger operators and a lack of interoperability in the 700 MHz band already make it difficult for smaller operators to get handsets. 

"In order for RCA carrier members to meet these new requirements, the FCC should require interoperability and end device exclusivity, steps that ultimately will benefit public safety and consumers," he said.

The FCC's decision to implement the more stringent regulations comes amid frustration from the public safety community about the difficulty of locating people who place 911 calls from cell phones.

A 2008 report from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) found that wireless 911 services in the United States are not ubiquitous and the accuracy of location data "remains inconsistent and does not always support the e?ective dispatch of emergency resources."