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from the Google-knows-where-your-phone-is-better-than-the-phone-company-does dept.
Google conducts test to help 911 accurately locate callers
Google has conducted a trial to test the efficiency of using its technology to help 911 operators more accurately figure out the location of cellphone callers. The test included tens of thousands of 911 calls over the span of two months in several states, and had encouraging results, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The test was done in conjunction with two companies that have connections into 911 centers, West Corp. and RapidSOS. Under the current 911 system, wireless carriers are normally responsible for providing location information, but it isn't very accurate. RapidSOS says that using Google's technology, about 80 percent of the 911 calls had more accurate location data within the first 30 seconds. Google's data also dramatically shrunk the estimated radius of a call's location, from 522 feet down to 121 feet and arrived faster than carrier data.
Also at Engadget.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday February 19 2018, @06:56AM (1 child)
The story addresses wireless 911 calls only.
Google has tower info plus gps info plus nearby wifi router info to work with all reported directly from the phone.
Traditional 911 only had tower and coverage lobe (antenna). Because that's all there was. Google and Apple built the rest, an they did it AFTER the 911 specs wewe written.
Not too hard to do better than the government mandate when you get to write your own rules, build your own tools, and track every single phone all day long.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by chromas on Monday February 19 2018, @08:24AM
Google and Apple added Wi-Fi location but E-911 was a thing long before they were doing phones and includes tower triangulation- and GPS-based location data.