Alltel, Two Other Wireless Carriers Fined Over 911 Rule

Alltel Corporation of Little Rock is among three wireless carriers that the Federal Communications Commission says will be fined a total of $2.8 million. The fines are for failing to have enough customers equipped with cell phones containing emergency-location technology. The FCC said Thursday it plans to fine Sprint Nextel Corporation $1.3 million, Alltel Corporation $1 million and United States Cellular Corporation a half-million dollars. The FCC said the companies have 30 days to argue why they should not be fined. The agency said the three companies failed to meet a December 31, 2005 deadline. By that date, wireless carriers were required to have 95 percent of their subscribers using handsets that are "location-capable" -- that is, equipped with a global positioning satellite chip. Sprint and Alltel representatives said Thursday their companies are now compliant or mostly compliant with FCC rules. A representative for U.S. Cellular could not immediately comment.