FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly commended Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres (R.) today for his “recognition and commitment that any consumer-collected 9-1-1 fees will not be diverted to other purposes and that the CNMI will comply with current law on the matter.” Mr. O’Rielly’s letter responded to a July 21 letter that Gov. Torres sent Mr. O’Rielly.  In his letter, which responded to an earlier letter from the Commissioner, Gov. Torres said that his territory “currently does not have a 9-1-1 System or … active Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in place. … Accordingly, the CNMI is currently not collecting fee or charges.”

But he said that legislation being drafted would create “an Enhanced Emergency 911/NextGen 911 Telephone Communications System within the CNMI. This legislation proposes to also establish a 911 Surcharge to be borne by Local Exchange Telephone and Commercial Mobile Radio Service Subscribers, among other elements critical to the operation and management of an effective and efficient 911 System.”

Courtesy TRDaily