Device Location Now Used to Route 9-1-1 Calls and Dispatch First
Responders to the Right Location Faster, Accomplishing
Long-Standing FCC Policy Goal
DALLAS, May 10, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- What's the news? AT&T* is the first
carrier to launch location-based routing to automatically transmit
wireless 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate 9-1-1 call centers on a
nationwide basis. Through this new "Locate Before Route" feature
from Intrado, AT&T can quickly and more accurately identify
where a wireless 9-1-1 call is coming from using device GPS and
hybrid information to route the call to the correct 9-1-1 call
center, also known as public safety answering point or PSAP.
With location-based routing, a device can be located and routed
within 50 meters of the device location. Prior to this launch,
wireless 9-1-1 calls were routed based on the location of cell
towers, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius. This can cause
delays in emergency response, especially when a call is made within
PSAP border areas where state, county or city boundaries
overlap.
The nationwide rollout has started and is available in
Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North
Dakota, Missouri,
Nebraska, South Dakota and Guam. Additional regions will be rolled out
over the next several weeks. The nationwide rollout is scheduled to
be completed by the end of June.
Why is this important? Today, 68% of adults don't
have a landline in their homes. When AT&T worked with the
FCC to establish the first 9-1-1 systems over 50 years ago,
communication technology was drastically different with landline
phones dominating the market. And now 80% of 9-1-1 calls come from
a mobile device.1 With the tremendous growth of wireless
connections and mobile 9-1-1 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.
AT&T is paving the way to create safer communities and is
the only carrier to provide the most accurate solution to reduce
wireless 9-1-1 call transfers beyond what the FCC is requiring
carriers today. This is especially important in an emergency when
lives are on the line.
AT&T is also the only public safety carrier with FirstNet,
Built with AT&T to deliver end-to-end emergency
communication solutions to support the public safety
community. Additionally, AT&T is the market leader in the U.S.
with NextGen 9-1-1 solutions that are critical to keeping
communities safe and helping save lives. For three consecutive
years, AT&T has been recognized by Frost & Sullivan with
the Market Leadership Award for U.S. NextGen 9-1-1 Services.
What are people saying?
Kurt Mills, Executive
Director, Snohomish County 911
"We share a busy border with King
County and are thrilled with the significant decrease in
9-1-1 transfers. We know that 9-1-1 transfers delay emergency
response and the winner here is our community. We very much
appreciate the public-private partnership between our agency,
AT&T and Intrado that allowed us to be the first in the nation
to implement this new routing technology."
Chris Sambar, EVP, AT&T Network
"Providing our customers with reliable connectivity and
high-quality service on America's largest wireless network is what
we strive for everyday at AT&T. Launching this industry-leading
public safety solution allows us to ultimately help improve the
connections and efficiency for our wireless customers by offering
more accurate service when making emergency calls."
Jeff Robertson, President,
Intrado Life & Safety
"Location-based routing is a significant accomplishment for
public safety. I'm proud of our collaboration with AT&T and
look forward to continued innovation with them as we combine our
technologies for the benefit of public safety – doing the right
thing for the right reasons."
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and
service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other
marks are the property of their respective owners.
*About AT&T
We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and
neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first
phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet
offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more
information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), please visit us at
about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.
© 2022 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T
Intellectual Property.
About Intrado Corporation
Intrado Corporation is an innovative, cloud-based, global
technology partner to clients around the world. Our solutions
connect people and organizations at the right time and in the right
ways, making those mission-critical connections more relevant,
engaging, and actionable - turning Information to Insight.
Intrado has sales and/or operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle
East, Asia Pacific,
Latin America, and South America. Intrado is controlled by
affiliates of certain funds managed by Apollo Global Management,
Inc. (NYSE: APO). For more information, please call 1-800-841-9000
or visit www.intrado.com.
1 Source: National Emergency Number Association.
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SOURCE AT&T Communications