Hudson Hosts FCC Chairman Carr in Moore County to Highlight American Drone Dominance, Next Generation 911

ABERDEEN, N.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications, hosted Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr in Moore County for visits highlighting American drone manufacturing and modern emergency communications.

Hudson and Carr toured Dracoe's manufacturing facility in Aberdeen before visiting the Moore County 911 Center, where they met with local first responders and saw Next Generation 911 technology in action.

"From building American-made drones right here near Fort Bragg to giving our first responders the latest technology when somebody calls 911, Moore County is doing some incredible work," said Rep. Hudson. "I was proud to bring Chairman Carr here to what we like to call the Silicon Valley of American Drone Dominance to see firsthand what the FCC can do to facilitate the development of an American drone industry."

"It was great to join Chairman Hudson in Moore County today, to visit with some of North Carolina's dedicated defense manufacturers and 911 dispatchers. Thanks to Chairman Hudson's strong leadership in Congress, the cutting edge of U.S. drone technology is being unleashed right in the heart of central North Carolina, which means more jobs and opportunity for so many hardworking Tar Heels," said Chairman Carr.

At Dracoe, Hudson and Carr toured the veteran-owned company's manufacturing operation and met with employees to discuss the growing domestic drone industry and the FCC's role in emerging drone technology.

Hudson and Carr then visited the Moore County 911 Center, where they met with Sheriff Ronnie Fields, public safety officials, dispatchers, and county leaders to see how Moore County is using Next Generation 911 technology.

Background

Dracoe designs and manufactures small drones and components used for defense and counter-drone training. The U.S. Army evaluated a Dracoe target-management capability during a counter-drone exercise earlier this year.

The visit also comes as the FCC takes steps affecting the domestic drone market. In December, the Commission added foreign-produced drones and critical components to its Covered List, generally preventing new covered models from receiving the equipment authorization required for import and sale in the United States. Previously authorized drones are not affected.

NG911 replaces aging 911 infrastructure with modern, internet-based technology capable of supporting better location information, text and multimedia, stronger cybersecurity, and improved communication between emergency call centers and first responders.

Hudson is leading the bipartisan Next Generation 9-1-1 Act with Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02). The legislation would establish a federal grant program to help states, tribes, and local 911 centers upgrade outdated systems and support deployment, maintenance, cybersecurity, training, and public education.

The visits also come as the FCC considers a broader review of the nation's 911 framework and how federal policy should evolve as emergency communications technology advances.

Moore County has operated on North Carolina's Next Generation 911 network since 2021 and also offers Text-to-911 for people who cannot safely make a voice call.