 |
PlanWireless |
|
|
Home >
Public Safety: What The FCC & Wireless Industry Won't Tell You First there was 911. The myth was that you could make an emergency call and help would be on the way … instantaneously. In earlier issues, PlanWireless reported wait times up to 14 minutes before a harried operator could answer your call. Forty percent of 911 calls are wireless. That is impressive until you discover that many of these calls are simply reporting traffic congestion and/or only seeking directions. Many actual emergencies took place on long, deserted roads and merely knowing the road's name or number wasn't enough. Location could not be pinpointed for wireless calls beyond knowing which cell site was picking up the signal. Now there is E (for enhanced) 911, a system which locates the caller precisely, depending on the "location technology" being used. There are two ways to achieve location technology: either through the handset or by triangulating three (or even two) cell sites' signals. The trouble is that neither technology will be ubiquitous by the FCC-deadline of October 2001 (the third extended deadline). The wireless industry is working hard on location technology, because they know that the commercial applications of their clients knowing where you are at any given time are huge. The idea is that your always-on handset will allow marketers to reach you at just the time, place and location they want to reach you. As you come within minutes of a retail location, your cell phone may announce a sale just for you. (Don't bother asking "who wants that?" The wireless industry wants it and therefore we shall have it.)Meanwhile, if your county has an 800-MHz trunked public safety system, there is hardly a cause for feeling safe and secure. According to an article in the August 5, 2001 issue of the Portland Oregonian, public safety agencies in 21 states have filed complaints with the FCC due to interference received on their 800-MHz public safety systems from one carrier: Nextel. What "interference" means is that the public safety person (police, fire, etc.) can't complete a life-or-death call. If your county has (or is considering) an 800 MHz trunked system, you need to see this article. Kreines & Kreines, Inc. will send a copy of this article to anyone who requests one.
|
|
To learn more, subscribe to the PlanWireless newsletter...
Kreines & Kreines, Inc. |
Top
of