New Federal Regulations to Affect Telephone Placement

ATo maintain FCC compliance and University employee safety, the Office of Information Technology (OIT), in conjunction with the Office of Risk Management and the SMU Police Department, is developing a roadmap for the removal of all non-compliant telephone devices.

Under Kari’s Law, for a phone to comply, it must have the capability to dial 9-1-1 directly. Similar to a computer, users must sign in to the AudioCodes phone for them to operate. If the user has not signed in to their phone, no calls can be made, including calls to 9-1-1. The Ray Baum act ensures protection for our campus by requiring all phones have a “dispatchable location” when you call 9-1-1. Phones that are not logged in prevent users from calling, and phones that are not signed in after a password has changed will not provide a 9-1-1 dispatcher with the location information for that phone.

How does this impact me?

 If you have a phone but do not actively use it or have never signed in, your phone will be removed later this spring. If your SMU password has changed but you haven’t signed into your phone with your new password, you will be contacted to update your password on your phone so that location services can be provided to 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.

I’ve been working remotely but plan to access my phone when I come back. What do I do?

To establish compliance, you will need to log into your phone by Monday, April 26, 2021.  If you are unable to log in, OIT will need to remove your phone later this spring. When you return, please email the IT Help Desk, and a new phone will be provided.

There is a vacant position for an employee in our office who is not yet hired, and we already have a phone for them. Does it have to be removed? What do we do?

After review by both the Office of Risk Management and the SMU Police Department, we have determined the phone must be removed in order to maintain federal compliance. OIT will replace the telephone upon arrival of your new employee. Please notify us 2-3 business days in advance to schedule deployment when the employee is available to sign in to the device. Please contact the IT Help Desk to make arrangements for a new phone to be delivered. Departments will not be charged for a replacement phone.

When do you plan to start removing phones? How will the campus be notified?

Phones will be removed in a phased approach. OIT is currently reviewing all impacted users and will communicate updates to faculty and staff later this spring. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the IT Help Desk at 214-768-HELP (4357) or help@smu.edu.