DATAMARK's 9-1-1 Tech Demo Paves Way for FCC Compliance, Faster Response

PITTSBURGH, PA – April 08, 2026 – In a pivotal step toward modernizing America's emergency response infrastructure, DATAMARK Technologies today announced the successful demonstration of a system designed to pinpoint 9-1-1 callers with unprecedented accuracy. The landmark test proves its Location Information Server (LIS) is fully compliant with new federal mandates, offering a clear and achievable roadmap for telecommunications providers to upgrade their networks and, more importantly, helping first responders save critical time when lives are on the line.

Conducted in a real-world test environment using live network traffic, the demonstration, in collaboration with public safety leader INdigital, confirmed that validated caller location data can be delivered seamlessly in the required Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) format. This achievement directly addresses the stringent requirements of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Report and Order 24-78, which sets enforceable deadlines for the transition away from legacy 9-1-1 systems.

"This successful demonstration confirms what DATAMARK Technologies has built over the past decade," said Mitch Pinkston, CEO of DATAMARK Technologies. "Our LIS is not a future concept, it is a proven, deployable solution that enables i3 and FCC compliance today and provides the foundation for a nationwide NG9-1-1 transition."

Navigating the High-Stakes NG9-1-1 Mandate

The transition to NG9-1-1 is not just an upgrade; it's a fundamental overhaul of the nation's emergency communication system. The FCC's Order 24-78, adopted in mid-2024, accelerates this shift by mandating that Originating Service Providers (OSPs)—the telecommunications companies that handle calls—deliver 9-1-1 traffic in a modern, IP-based format.

This mandate presents significant hurdles for OSPs. They face a complex, two-phase compliance timeline that begins the moment a local 9-1-1 authority issues a valid request. Within six months, OSPs must deliver calls in the proper format. Within another six months, they must enhance that data stream with precise, embedded location information, a task that requires a functional Location Information Server. The deadlines are tight, and the logistical challenge is immense, as providers must track the compliance status for every single Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) they serve.

Beyond the logistical headaches, the technical and financial challenges are substantial. OSPs must migrate from decades-old analog systems to a sophisticated IP-based infrastructure, a costly and complex endeavor. Failure to comply not only risks significant financial penalties from the FCC but also perpetuates the use of outdated systems that can misroute or delay emergency calls.

How the Location Information Server Solves the Puzzle

At the heart of this technological leap is the Location Information Server. In the NG9-1-1 framework, the LIS acts as an authoritative digital address book. It securely stores and provides precise civic or geodetic (latitude/longitude) location data for IP-enabled devices, such as a VoIP phone in an office building or a home internet connection. By mapping a device's network identifier to a validated physical address at the moment a call is placed, the LIS ensures the call is instantly and accurately routed to the correct PSAP.

The recent demonstration by DATAMARK and its partners, including INdigital, MicroAutomation, and NPTech, proved this system works flawlessly under pressure. Using live OSP traffic, the LIS dynamically provided validated location data that was passed through MicroAutomation's Omni911 call-handling equipment. The result was a perfect end-to-end call delivery, eliminating the guesswork and potential for error inherent in legacy routing methods, which often rely on less precise billing information or cell tower triangulation.

This provides OSPs with a tangible, off-the-shelf solution to meet the FCC's Phase 2 requirement. Rather than building a complex location system from scratch, they can integrate a proven, standards-compliant LIS to achieve compliance and improve service reliability.

The Human Impact: From Seconds Saved to Lives Changed

The technical specifications and regulatory acronyms obscure a simple, powerful truth: this technology saves lives. The primary cause of delays in emergency response is often not the travel time for an ambulance or fire truck, but the time lost in trying to identify a caller's correct location and dispatching the right responders.

By providing validated location data at the start of a 9-1-1 call, the LIS virtually eliminates routing errors. A call from a multi-story office building is no longer just a dot on a map; NG9-1-1 can specify the floor and room number, guiding responders directly to the emergency. Studies have consistently shown that reducing ambiguity in location data can shave minutes off response times—an eternity during a cardiac arrest or a house fire.

Furthermore, the IP-based infrastructure that the LIS supports is the foundation for a richer, more informative emergency communication experience. NG9-1-1 enables the public to send text messages, photos, and video clips to 9-1-1 centers. A witness can send a picture of a suspect's vehicle, or a person trapped in a fire can share a video of their surroundings. This provides first responders with invaluable situational awareness before they even arrive on the scene, improving both their effectiveness and their own safety.

A New Era of Interoperability in Public Safety

For decades, public safety technology has been characterized by fragmentation, with disparate, proprietary systems unable to communicate with one another. The successful demonstration highlights a crucial shift toward interoperability, where different companies and technologies collaborate to create a seamless, unified system.

DATAMARK Technologies itself is a product of this new philosophy. Formed by the strategic union of DATAMARK, a public safety GIS division of Michael Baker International, and Digital Data Technologies, LLC (DDT), a top NG9-1-1 location services provider, the company bridges the critical gap between managing geographic data and delivering it in an emergency. This integrated approach breaks down the data silos that have long plagued public safety, ensuring that the high-quality GIS data that cities and counties meticulously maintain is the same data used to route a 9-1-1 call.

The collaboration with INdigital, a pioneer in building large-scale IP-based public safety networks, and MicroAutomation, whose Omni911 software receives the calls in the PSAP, underscores that no single company can build NG9-1-1 alone. It is an ecosystem that requires partnership and adherence to common standards, like the NENA i3 architecture, to function.

As the nationwide adoption of NG9-1-1 accelerates—with over 40 states already having plans in place—proven and interoperable solutions are more critical than ever. This demonstration moves the LIS from a theoretical component on a diagram to a validated, market-ready tool, clearing a major roadblock in the path to a safer, more responsive emergency network for all.