AT&T Now Knows Your Location When Making a Wireless 911 Call

pcmag.com:

AT&T this week launched the first nationwide location-based routing system to automatically transmit wireless 911 calls to the appropriate center.

Based on Intrado's Locate Before Route feature, AT&T can now use GPS to locate a mobile device within 50 meters and direct it to the nearest public safety answering point (PSAP).

Dialling 911 doesn't automatically connect you with the local police or fire station. Wireless emergency calls are traditionally based on cell tower locations, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius and make pinpointing an approximate location difficult. It's particularly problematic in border areas where state, county, or city boundaries overlap.

Enter location-based routing technology, rolling out now across the US—first in 16 states and Guam, with additional regions coming soon. AT&T aims to complete its nationwide release by the end of June.

"With the tremendous growth of wireless connections and mobile 911 calls, AT&T is deploying this public safety network feature so when an emergency happens, the public has the same fast, accurate, and reliable connection to PSAPs, whether they're calling from their mobile device or a landline phone," the carrier said.

Once ubiquitous, landlines are quickly falling out of fashion. In the first six months of 2021, 68% of adults (about 172 million) did not own a home phone—but had at least one wireless handset, according to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics. In many areas, 80% of emergency calls come from a mobile device, the National Emergency Number Association reported.

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