80 Percent of US Population Can Access Location Based Emergency Calls

Eighty percent of the USA's population now reside in areas where phone calls to the emergency services 911 service from a mobile phone now includes delivery of the caller's call-back number and location to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), a capability known as wireless enhanced 911 (E911).

This number represents an eleven percent increase in Phase II deployments over statistics released by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in January of 2006. Another positive development is that over seventy percent of individual PSAPs are now Phase II capable, a thirteen percent increase from a year ago.

However, just under half of the nation's 3,135 counties, primarily located in rural areas, still cannot provide this critical service to their residents.

"We are pleased that the 911 community and the wireless industry continue to work together to provide this essential, life saving service to the vast majority of Americans," said NENA President Jason Barbour, ENP. "Progress is being made. However, it is troubling and unacceptable that nearly half of the counties in this country lack a PSAP that can locate 911 calls made from wireless phones."

Such a lack of funding was the driving force behind the introduction and passage of the still unfunded ENHANCE 911 Act of 2004.

"The public needs and deserves wireless E911 from coast to coast, regardless of where they live, work, or travel. Sustainable funding for 911 is a critical issue that must be addressed if all Americans are to enjoy the benefits of a fully functional 911 system. We expect the rate of Phase II deployments to slow down as the remaining counties lacking the technology are primarily more rural, under-funded areas. Thus, it remains critical that Congress provide funding to implement the ENHANCE 911 Act grant program, a grant program specifically designed with this issue in mind," said Barbour.

Several recent wireless 911 calls have been credited with saving the lives of lost hikers, a lost mountain biker and a man lost in a cornfield, not to mention the thousands of calls made to report accidents on roadways and crimes in progress.

The wireless E911 statistics were published on the NENA website, measuring the number of counties, individual PSAPs, and total population covered by Phase I and Phase II wireless location technology. Phase I includes delivery of the caller's call-back and the cell tower transmitting the 911 call. Phase II includes delivery of the caller's location and call-back number."

Posted to the site on 4th January 2007