| The Wireless 9-1-1 Web Page
News Flash…
In our increasingly wireless society, more and more of the mobile public is dialing 9-1-1 every dayabout 86 million people were subscribers of wireless telephone service in 1999, according to the Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA). In addition, CTIA estimates that nearly 46,000 Americans become wireless subscribers every day. It is estimated that of the 150 million calls that will be made to 9-1-1 in 2000, 45 million of them will be made from wireless telephone usersthats 30 percent. This is a ten-fold increase from nearly 4.3 million wireless 9-1-1 calls just 10 years ago, and the number will more than double to 100 million calls in the next five years. It is anticipated that by 2005, the majority of 9-1-1 calls will be from wireless callers. Beginning with this first year of the 21st century, statistical information on 9-1-1 will be more exact and readily available within NENAs Report Card to the Nation project. In this first ever nation-wide survey of the industry, NENA will track a variety of 9-1-1 system information including wireline and wireless call statistics, 9-1-1 service levels, legislation, equipment, staffing information, and more. Frightening statistics about wireless calls to 9-1-1, like those stated above, and the actions of industries tangential to 9-1-1 have brought us together to develop solutions that will ultimately work best for the citizens we serve. “[Wireless 9-1-1] is rapidly becoming a critical public safety issue affecting all Americans,” said W. Mark Adams, NENA’s Executive Director, in a June 1999 NENA press release. “In the 16 years since cell phones were introduced, 9-1-1 operators have not been able to automatically receive the location or even the phone number of people calling from a wireless phone.” The industry set forth to educate itself, our legislators and our public of the critical need for wireless 9-1-1 service. After having been the topic of discussion in 9-1-1 for several years, wireless 9-1-1 service is finally becoming a reality. With a sturdy infrastructure and the technology necessary to support wireless 9-1-1 service, members of each states public safety community have workedor are workingtirelessly to pass the legislation necessary to fund this valuable, necessary, and overdue component to the public safety system. Now, with legislation, funding, and the technology in hand or on the way, the challenge is being met and our wireless telephone users can be confident thatin the futurehelp will indeed be on the way when they dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone. |
