AT&T has launched nationwide location-based emergency call routing in the United States. It is the first carrier to launch a location-based call routing service. Location-based call routing can automatically transmit 9-1-1 calls to 9-1-1 call centers.
AT&T has partnered with Intrado’s “Location Before Route” service to roll out the service. This will identify the exact location where the 9-1-1 call is coming from using GPS and other information. AT&T can route emergency calls to correct 9-1-1 call centers, a.k.a public safety answering point(PSAP).
With the help of location-based routing, a device can be located and routed within 50 meters of its location. Before the rollout of location-based call routing wireless, 9-1-1 calls were routed based on the location of cell phone towers.
Usually, a cell phone tower has a 10-mile radius. This can cause a delay in responding to an emergency. Routing an emergency call using a cell phone tower is even more challenging in PSAP border areas where the boundaries of the state, country, and cities meet.
AT&T has already started the rollout of location-based emergency call routing. It is now available in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Guam. The remaining regions will be added in the coming weeks. Overall, AT&T has scheduled to complete the rollout by June end.
Rolling out a nationwide location-based call routing will play a significant role in responding to 9-1-1 calls faster. The PSAP call centers can now get an accurate location of the caller, and based on that, they can route the help. What are your thoughts about location-based emergency call routing? Let us know in the comments.
