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New 8 Austin has a write-up of FEMA’s Digital Emergency Alert System: FEMA to Introduce Digital Emergency Alert System.

The idea behind this system is to be able to send messages to all cell phones and internet-connected PDAs and computers within a specific geographic area in order to warn of large-scale emergencies and disasters.

“You could [contact] every person in this ZIP code, whether that’s their real address or they just happen to be there saying, ‘Hey, tornado is coming’,” said Brian Cooley of CNET.com.

Read more about FEMA’s Digital Emergency Alert System.

Here’s a tragic story from the Chicago Tribune about a motorbike rider who died because his mobile phone calls to 911 couldn’t be traced: Biker Dies When Cell Calls Can’t Be Traced.

Unfortunately, the technical aspects of the article are quite poorly researched. For example, the article claims that in order to be located, “a cell phone user’s telephone also has to have more recent, compatible technology”. I guess they’re referring to A-GPS here, but there are plenty of other ways to locate a phone accurately enough to enable a successful search and rescue. Technologies like E-OTD, TA/NMR, and U-TDOA all work fine with older phones.

The article is correct, though, in highlighting how slow some network operators have been in rolling out their E-911 systems. As McHenry County Commissioner Mary Lou Zierer says, “You don’t realize the importance until something like this happens, where a gentleman probably could have been saved if we could have pinpointed him.”

A review of the A-GPS equipped LG VX8300 from Verizon Wireless has been posted over at Top Tech News.

Features of the handset include:

• dual-band EVDO-capable radio
• Bluetooth radio
• GPS navigation chip
• 28 MB of internal memory
• 1.3-megapixel camera with flash and self-timer
• micro-SD expansion card slot
• full duplex speakerphone

C.J. Driscoll & Associates has released a nationally projectable marketing research study on consumer interest in a wide range of GPS-based applications and wireless services. The study assesses interest and willingness to pay for vehicle-installed and portable navigation systems, traffic information and other telematic services, and location-based services delivered to cell phones. It also quantifies consumer use and satisfaction with navigation systems and telematic services, and provides feedback from early adopters of LBS. In addition, the study assesses consumer opinions regarding location-based advertising and the potential impact of location-based services on privacy.

Source: WebWire.

Cablevision Systems Corp. has announced announced that its Optimum Voice VoIP service has just passed the one million customer mark. Optimum Voice includes enhanced 911 access for every customer.

In a back-to-school article looking at gadgets for students, the Miami Herald is recommending the Sprint Family Locator service for tracking childrens’ phones.

Towns face deadline on 911 dispatch - Several southern Maine communities must decide this week who will handle their emergency phone calls. State officials set July 1, 2006, as the deadline for communities in four counties to decide who handles their Enhanced 911 calls. If everything runs as planned, the state will reduce the number of centers fielding Enhanced 911 calls from 48 to between 16 and 24. Already, the number of centers has been reduced to 45.

Minutes Count - an article about the need for rapid response and accurate information when dealing with an emergency services call. Stephens County is one of only two counties in Oklahoma without enhanced 911 coverage.

Macon County Enhanced 911 Audio Report - Macon County’s Legislature is contemplating approving changes to allow enhanced 911 even without voter approval.

NENA announced the start of the 20 day public review period for NENA’s Interim Solution standard (short name I2) on August 22, 2005. This is NENA’s first major standard on VoIP and E9-1-1 system interface, and is an interim solution for VoIP telecommunications service providers to provide full Enhanced 9-1-1 service through current E9-1-1 infrastructure. The draft standard is available for review and comments through the NENA web site.

This design and standard is a migratory step toward the currently in-progress design of an IP-based Next Generation 9-1-1 service that will flexibly support all types of 9-1-1 calling devices.

• NENA Interim VoIP Architecture for Enhanced 9-1-1 Services (i2) Draft
• NENA press release

The review period will end at 5:00PM on September 19th 2005.

Companies offering internet-based phone services in the US have been given just 120 days to ensure that their lines provide access to the emergency services, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled last week.

Source.

There are going to be a lot of problems with this mandate, and it’s likely to stifle the development and deployment of VoIP technology. A cynic might think that that’s what the incumbent telcos want - a few more years of being able to charge inflated fees for telephone services before voice becomes just another service delivered over broadband and metered by the megabyte.

Meanwhile, other countries will continue to pull ahead of the US in this area.

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) has complained to the FCC about Vonage’s proposed interim method of handling E911 VoIP calls.

Vonage is proposing to route E911 VoIP calls to the 10-digit administrative number of the nearest PSAP, until they can get a proper E911 solution running.

APCO is taking the position that all new technologies such as VoIP should be required to support E911 properly. Expecting PSAPs to respond to emergency calls on administrative numbers disrupts and strains their limited resources.

Source.

Google has had a lot of press lately for their local search for mobile phone users, but they’re certainly not the only game in town.

Check out SearchEngineWatch’s roundup of local mobile search tools. Lots of cool stuff.

TruePosition today announced a hosted solution for wireless location, designed to help rural carriers meet the FCC’s E911 Phase II requirements.

This type of hosted solution is great for smaller wireless carriers, as it helps them avoid the upfront capital cost of mobile location infrastructure. It also removes the ongoing burden of maintenance and operation of the equipment.

This particular service seems to rely primarily on the network-based U-TDOA (Uplink Time Difference Of Arrival) location technology.

Source.

Google has developed a new service that enables cell phone users in the US to search Google Local directly from their mobile handset.

Although it doesn’t use any sort of mobile location technology (users enter their location in manually), this is a fascinating local search service. It’s quite likely that they will eventually support location lookup as location services become more widespread, which will make the mobile search even more valuable to users.

Google has a reputation for innovation, so it’ll be interesting to see where they take this concept.

Source.

Time is running out for fast-growing Net phone providers to fully support 911 emergency services, a key but costly public safety feature that few now provide.

This is a pretty good rundown on the current issues surrounding VoIP and its support of E911 in the USA.

Source.