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Telecom Decision CRTC 2016-54

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Ottawa, 10 February 2016

File number: 8621-C12-01/08

CISC Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering – Consensus report CNRE116a – Updated Canadian Emergency Service Routing Digit Block Assignment Guideline

Report

  1. On 4 December 2015, the Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering (CSCN) of the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) submitted the following consensus report for Commission approval:
    • Updated Canadian Emergency Service Routing Digit (ESRD) Block Assignment Guideline (CNRE116a)
  2. This consensus report can be found in the “Reports” section of the CSCN page, which is available in the CISC section of the Commission's website at www.crtc.gc.ca.
  3. The ESRD Block Assignment Guideline sets out guidelines for the assignment of blocks of numbers within each ESRD codeFootnote 1 in all Canadian geographic numbering plan areas. The current ESRD codes are 511 and 211. In its report, the CSCN selected ESRD codes 311 and 811 to be added to the ESRD Block Assignment Guideline to extend ESRD numbering resources.

Commission's analysis and determinations

  1. The Commission recently approved recommendations by the CISC Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) on how to identify the location of small cell antennas, including Femto cells and distributed antenna systems,Footnote 2 in CISC Emergency Services Working Group – Final consensus report regarding the location of Femto and distributed small cell antennas for 9-1-1 services, Telecom Decision CRTC 2015-560, 18 December 2015. The CISC ESWG recommended, among other things, the use of ESRDs for identifying the location of Femto cells and distributed antenna systems to public safety answering points (PSAPs).
  2. Although Femto cells have not yet been deployed in Canada, when they are deployed, the demand for ESRD numbering resources will likely increase. The addition of ESRD codes 311 and 811 will therefore extend ESRD numbering resources that can be assigned to wireless cells, including Femto cells and distributed antenna systems, to help identify the location of cell phone customers when they dial 9-1-1. 
  3. Accordingly, the Commission approves the CSCN's consensus report and proposed changes to its ESRD Block Assignment Guideline.

Secretary General

Footnotes

Footnote 1

An ESRD is a unique 10-digit number, in the format of NPA-N11-XXXX (NPA is the numbering plan area), assigned to each wireless network cell and/or cell tower used in the routing of 9-1-1 calls to public safety answering points. Cell phone location information can be associated with each ESRD to help identify the location of a 9-1-1 caller. The N11 portion of the ESRD is the ESRD code.

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Footnote 2

Small cell antennas are deployed to increase a signal's coverage area or to increase network capacity (e.g. for densely populated areas). Since small cell antennas have a smaller footprint than cell towers, many more small cells can be deployed in a given area than cell towers.

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