Wireless Priority Service

Priority service in emergency situations

What is Wireless Priority Service (WPS)?

WPS is a service that allows your National Security/Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) calls to queue for priority service and complete the call when circuits become overloaded, for example during large-scale emergencies.


Why do you need WPS?
Major accidents including disasters and terrorist attacks can trigger tremendous telephone traffic in the landline and wireless networks. NS/EP personnel at all levels of government compete with the public for these congested landline and wireless resources.
WPS provides the means to get your wireless call through as quickly as possible.


How do you use WPS?
When you need to make an official call and you encounter congestion, simply retry your call but prefix your dialed number with *272.
For example, you would dial: *272 703-555-1234
Everything else is automatic – your call will queue for up to 30 seconds and "grab" the next available path.
If landline networks are also congested, utilize *272 plus the GETS access number to get priority in both wireless and landline networks.


How much does WPS cost?
WPS feature subscription rate:
One-time activation fee - Free
Monthly service fee - Free
Per-minute maximum for WPS calls (*272) - $.75
WPS minutes are not charged against your basic service.
WPS charges are in addition to your plan charges.


Who is eligible for WPS?
Persons in NS/EP leadership positions and key staff are eligible.
Applicable at all levels: Federal, State, and Local


How do you order WPS?
Your organization Point of Contact (POC) applies for WPS for all users within the organization.
Upon WPS approval, your POC forwards the carrier account activation information to NCS. NCS then orders WPS feature added to your basic service.
If you do not already have carrier service, then you will need to acquire basic commercial service.

Contact information
http://wps.ncs.gov
866-NCS-CALL, Select Option 2 for WPS

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