WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission has denied all requests from cellphone companies who sought extensions to a federal mandate requiring enhanced 911 systems that allow emergency call centers to locate wireless callers.

The wireless carriers were required to have 95 percent of their subscribers equipped with location-capable handsets by Dec. 31, 2005. None did.

The decisions against Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp., and others were handed down as early as last May, but the orders were delayed until Friday because the commission wanted to release them together, an FCC spokesman said.

In addition to Verizon and Sprint Nextel, the other carriers whose petitions were denied are: Leap Wireless International Inc. and Qwest Wireless LLC (filing jointly), Alltel Corp., Centennial Communications Corp., Dobson Cellular Systems Inc., United States Cellular Corp. and Sprint Nextel subsidiary Nextel Partners Inc.

U.S. Cellular Corp., Nextel Partners, Alltel and Sprint Nextel, which had lower penetration rates than the other companies and lacked suitable plans for future compliance, were referred for enforcement action by the FCC and could be subject to fines, according to the agency spokesman.

"We need time to review it before we have a specific comment," said Alltel spokesman Andrew Moreau. Representatives from U.S. Cellular and Sprint Nextel could not immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

The deployment of so-called E911 is a two-piece puzzle, as both cell phone companies and the emergency dispatch facilities need to upgrade their systems.

By late 2005, just 57 percent of the centers had upgraded their systems so their dispatchers could receive information from cell phone companies to pinpoint a 911 caller's location within a few hundred yards, according to the General Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress. That compared with 18 percent in late 2003.

Most of the carriers must adhere to reporting requirements beginning Feb. 1 to keep the FCC abreast of their progress in meeting the requirement, according to the commission's orders.

CTIA-The Wireless Association and Rural Cellular Association jointly filed a petition that also was denied.

The industry groups sought a blanket waiver for all carriers and suspension of the 95 percent requirement.

A CTIA spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. slid 65 cents to end at $37.38, while Sprint Nextel dipped 44 cents, or 2.2 percent, Alltel lost a penny to $61.90, all on the New York Stock Exchange. Centennial dipped 30 cents, or 4.2 percent, to end at $6.80, while Dobson slid a penny to close at $8.52, both on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

U.S. Cellular shed 80 cents to end at $70.81 on the American Stock Exchange.