What Is NG911? Next Generation 911, Explained for Enterprise IT

The 911 system most Americans grew up with was built for copper landlines, and it is being replaced. Next Generation 911 (NG911) moves emergency calls onto IP networks and carries the caller's location inside the call itself. In 2024, the FCC adopted the first nationwide rules requiring phone carriers and VoIP providers to make that switch.

Most NG911 coverage is about 911 call centers. For IT leaders who run an enterprise phone system, it is also a story about data. When location travels with the call, the location your phone system sends is exactly what the dispatcher sees.

This guide explains what NG911 is, how it differs from the 911 services you use today, what the FCC's rules require, and what it means for organizations already responsible for compliance under Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act. If you want a refresher on Enhanced 911 first, start with What Is E911? Enhanced 911, Explained for Enterprise IT.

What is NG911?

NG911, short for Next Generation 911, is an IP-based 911 architecture that replaces the circuit-switched networks 911 has run on since the first 911 call in 1968. "NG911" and "next generation 911" mean the same thing.

In an NG911 system, 911 calls travel over an Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) managed by a state or local 911 Authority. Next Generation 911 Core Services (NGCS) route each call to the right public safety answering point (PSAP) and validate caller locations against geographic information system (GIS) data. Calls are delivered using SIP, the same protocol most modern business phone systems already use. The prevailing architecture is NENA's i3 standard, which the FCC recognizes as a commonly accepted, ANSI-approved standard (FCC 24-78).

Because it is built on IP, NG911 is designed to handle more than voice. In its end state, it will support text, photos, video, and data, and it improves interoperability between 911 centers. When the FCC adopted its 2024 rules, it noted that no fully enabled NG911 system was yet operating, so what any one 911 center can accept depends on where it is in its own upgrade.

E911 vs. NG911: how 911 works today and what changes

The biggest change for enterprises is how location reaches the 911 center: legacy E911 looks it up from a database, while NG911 carries it inside the call. The comparison below draws on the FCC's description of both architectures in its 2024 NG911 order.

• Network. Legacy 911 and E911 run on circuit-switched (TDM) trunks and selective routers. NG911 runs on an IP-based Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet).
• Call delivery. Legacy 911 uses TDM. NG911 uses SIP.
• How location reaches the PSAP. Legacy E911 relies on Automatic Location Information (ALI) databases tied to the caller's number. NG911 carries location in the call signaling using the Presence Information Data Format Location Object (PIDF-LO) or an equivalent.
• Address validation. Legacy E911 checks addresses against the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG). In NG911, a Location Validation Function checks them against authoritative GIS data.
• Media. Legacy 911 is built for voice. NG911 is designed to support text, photos, video, and data.
• Resilience. Legacy components place significant limits on what the network can do. NG911 core services can dynamically reroute calls around network disruptions.

In the legacy model, a stale address record could sit quietly in a database until someone called 911. In NG911, whatever location the originating system sends goes straight to the dispatcher's screen with the call.

What the FCC's NG911 rules require

The FCC's 2024 NG911 order (FCC 24-78) requires originating service providers to deliver 911 calls in IP format once a state or local 911 Authority makes a valid request, in two phases. Originating service providers include wireline carriers, wireless carriers, covered text providers, interconnected VoIP providers, and internet-based relay (TRS) providers.

Phase 1: IP delivery

Providers must deliver 911 calls in IP-based SIP format to the NG911 Delivery Points the 911 Authority designates, and complete connectivity testing. Providers that still originate calls in TDM can use a gateway to convert them.

Phase 2: standards-based delivery with location

Providers must deliver SIP calls that comply with the NG911 standards the 911 Authority identifies, with caller location embedded in the call signaling (PIDF-LO or equivalent). They must also use a Location Information Server (LIS) or equivalent to verify customer location, and complete connectivity testing. Phase 1 must be complete before Phase 2 begins.

Deadlines

• Nationwide wireless carriers, covered text providers, interconnected VoIP providers, and wireline carriers other than rural incumbent carriers have six months after a valid request to meet each phase.
• Rural incumbent carriers, non-nationwide wireless carriers, and internet-based relay providers have one year.

A 911 Authority must certify that it is ready to receive IP traffic before its request is valid, and the two sides can agree to different terms.

Requests are already flowing. The FCC's NG911 request registry posted 176 filings between late March 2025 and January 2026, and after amendments and withdrawals, FCC staff estimates about 130 were valid Phase 1 requests (FCC DA 26-407). In an April 2026 waiver request, Verizon told the FCC it wanted more time for wireline Phase 1 partly to better support caller location for certain multi-line telephone system (MLTS) users. That is the kind of enterprise phone system this article is about.

In June 2026, the FCC adopted a second order (FCC 26-39) extending its 911 reliability rules to the entities essential to NG911 call delivery and requiring providers to report on NG911 interoperability. Those rules took effect August 10, 2026, though most compliance deadlines begin 18 months after the FCC announces approval from the Office of Management and Budget.

What the rules do not do: the NG911 order is aimed at originating service providers, not at organizations that operate their own phone systems. If you run Cisco Unified CM or Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, your direct obligations are still Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act. If you are unsure whether part of your operation counts as a provider, ask your counsel.

What NG911 means for your enterprise phone system

NG911 does not change what your organization owes under federal law, but it raises the cost of getting location wrong. Two laws set the bar for multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) manufactured, sold, or installed after February 16, 2020 (FCC MLTS 911 requirements):

• Kari's Law requires that users can dial 911 directly, with no prefix like 9, and that the system notifies a central location, such as a front desk or security office, when a 911 call is placed.
• RAY BAUM's Act (Section 506) requires that 911 calls from an MLTS carry a dispatchable location: the validated street address plus details like suite, floor, or room needed to find the caller. The deadline was January 6, 2021 for on-premises fixed devices and January 6, 2022 for non-fixed and off-premises devices.

For a step-by-step look at both laws, see our 911 compliance guide. Here is where NG911 changes the stakes.

Location becomes part of the call. Once your carrier or 911 provider delivers Phase 2 traffic, the location your phone system supplies rides in the SIP signaling to the PSAP. NG911 does not clean up bad data. It delivers it faster.

Addresses are checked against GIS. Under NG911, a Location Validation Function checks civic addresses against authoritative GIS data, replacing the legacy MSAG check. An address that was accepted under the old process is not guaranteed to validate against GIS records.

Floor and room have a standard home. The IETF civic location format used in PIDF-LO includes elements for building, floor, and room (RFC 5139). That only helps responders if your system populates them accurately for every phone.

Remote and hybrid users still count. Softphones and laptops move. The FCC's rules require non-fixed and off-premises devices to provide automated dispatchable location when technically feasible, and another approved form of location when it is not.

On-site notification still matters. NG911 improves what reaches the 911 center. It does nothing to tell your security desk that a call just came from the third floor. That is still your system's job under Kari's Law.

An NG911 readiness checklist for IT leaders

You do not need to wait for your state's NG911 timeline to get ready. These steps protect you under Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act today and set you up for NG911 tomorrow.

1. Audit dispatchable location for every device. Confirm each desk phone, softphone, and shared device maps to a street address plus building, floor, and room or zone.
2. Re-validate your addresses. Run your civic addresses through your 911 provider's validation and fix anything that fails or only partially matches.
3. Ask your carrier or 911 service provider three questions. Have 911 Authorities in the states where you operate filed NG911 requests? When will your calls be delivered in Phase 2 format with location in the signaling? How does the location from your phone system map into that call?
4. Close the remote-worker gap. Confirm how your system captures and updates location for hybrid and remote users, and what happens when it cannot.
5. Test without tying up a dispatcher. Use the test number or test procedure your 911 provider supports to confirm routing and the location being sent. Do not test by calling 911.
6. Verify on-site notification. Make sure 911 alerts reach the people who can act, like security or the front desk, with the caller's location attached.
7. Document everything. Keep records of your location data, validation results, and test calls in case you ever need to show compliance.

NG911 FAQ

What does NG911 stand for? Next Generation 911. It is the IP-based replacement for the circuit-switched networks that have carried 911 calls for decades.

What is a PSAP (public safety answering point)? A PSAP is a 911 call center: the facility that answers 911 calls and dispatches police, fire, and EMS. Some agencies use the term emergency communications center (ECC). Under NG911, PSAPs receive calls over IP networks with location delivered as part of the call.

Is NG911 the same as E911? No. Enhanced 911 (E911) added automatic number and location information to legacy 911. NG911 replaces the underlying network with IP and carries location inside the call rather than relying on a separate database lookup.

Do businesses have to comply with NG911? The FCC's NG911 rules apply to carriers and other originating service providers. Organizations that run their own phone systems remain responsible for Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act, and NG911 makes the accuracy of the location you send more visible to responders.

When will NG911 be available everywhere? There is no single national date. The transition moves state by state as 911 Authorities certify readiness and file requests, which start each provider's six-month or one-year clock.

What does emergency communications mean? It is the broad term for the systems that connect people in an emergency with the people who respond, including 911, PSAPs, dispatch, and on-site alerting.

Can you text or send video to 911 with NG911? NG911 is designed to support text, photos, and video. What you can send in practice depends on the capabilities of your local 911 center.

Get your phone system ready for NG911

NG911 will put your location data in front of every dispatcher who takes a call from your organization. The time to make sure it is right is before that call happens.

9Line Dispatch, our core 911 compliance platform, delivers Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act compliance for Cisco Unified CM, Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, and Cisco BroadWorks. Dispatch sends a dispatchable location with every 911 call and alerts your on-site team the moment someone dials, with no software to install on user devices. Talk to us about where your environment stands.

Sources

1. Federal Communications Commission, Report and Order, Facilitating Implementation of Next Generation 911 Services (NG911), FCC 24-78, 89 Fed. Reg. 78066 (Sept. 24, 2024). Full text (PDF).
2. FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Public Notice on Verizon Petition for Waiver of NG911 Phase 1 Deadlines, DA 26-407 (Apr. 24, 2026).
3. Federal Communications Commission, FCC Modernizes Next Generation 911 Reliability and Interoperability, news release on FCC 26-39 (June 25, 2026).
4. FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Public Notice announcing effective date of NG911 reliability rules, DA 26-708 (July 10, 2026).
5. Federal Communications Commission, 911 Requirements for Multi-Line Telephone Systems (Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act).
6. Internet Engineering Task Force, RFC 5139: Revised Civic Location Format for PIDF-LO (Feb. 2008).