Next-generation 911 service — which would allow Canadians to send texts or video to summon help — won’t be implemented for another two years.
The CRTC had set Tuesday as the date for transitioning to next-generation 911 but the telecom regulator now says it has moved that deadline to March 2027.
In a Friday decision, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) acknowledged the delay means "Canadians will have to wait longer for the enhancements" the new systems will bring.
In its initial 2017 decision on modernizing 911 networks, the CRTC said that next-generation 911 service would allow Canadians to "stream video from an emergency incident, send photos of accident damage or a fleeing suspect, or send personal medical information, including accessibility needs, which could greatly aid emergency responders.”
The CRTC said it concluded that extending the deadline "is the only workable solution to ensure uninterrupted access to the emergency services that Canadians need."
It said that while telecoms are ready for the move, most provincial, territorial and municipal emergency services are not.
The CRTC said it was warned by multiple groups — including those representing police, fire and paramedic chiefs — that without a deadline extension, some Canadians could lose access to 911 service.
The regulator said that would have posed an unacceptable risk to public safety.
Only three of Canada’s 242 emergency services call centres had launched next-generation services as of April 2024. The CRTC predicted the "vast majority" won’t complete that transition until the end of 2026.
The call centres "have faced multiple challenges, including the need for greater technical expertise and limited vendor availability for testing, which have created a bottleneck and slowed down the transition," the CRTC's decision said.
The CRTC has asked emergency services chiefs to report back by Aug. 28 with a "comprehensive plan" that explains how 911 call centres "will meet the new deadline or will make alternative arrangements."
