Will Your Cell Phone Work in an Emergency?
If you're one of the millions of cell phone users who count on their wireless phone for emergency 911 calling,
You might want to think again........
Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that your wireless 911 call will be routed to an emergency call center. Much less, that the emergency dispatcher will have the ability to pinpoint your call's location.
Why?
Part of the problem is lack of service. Often, in more rural areas, your cell phone has fewer towers available to receive reception. And, many of those towers are designed for analog calls - not digital.
But, since the FCC does not require it, fewer carriers offer analog service -- or the ability to connect to it.
Not surprising, since much of the carriers' revenue is dependant on features available only on digital networks.
Another problem?
There is no uniform Ehanced 911 system (E911) for wireless carriers. The fault lies mainly with the FCC, who has once again neglected to force all carriers to conform their systems to a single technology.
Because of this, there are now two very incompatable E911 systems in the works.
Nextel, Sprint and Verizon each have cell phones that use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to find a caller's location. While Cingular/AT&T and T-Mobile rely on a triangulation system.
Unfortunately, both E911 systems have their flaws. The GPS system needs a minimum of three satalites to be able to "read" the handset's location. Accuracy can be hampered by heavy vegetation, mountains or tall buildings.
The triangulation system also has its shortcomings. The system relies on the strength and timing of cell towers to determine a location. It too, requires multiple towers for accuracy. This becomes more difficult in rural areas where towers are scarce.
To compound the problem, Emergency Call Centers are not equipt with the technology needed to field E911 calls. Most smaller centers lack the funding for the sophisticated equiptment, while others lack the knowledge on how to integrate E911 into their existing system.
According to a 2004 article in the San Diego Union Tribune, only about 12% of the country's 911 centers had the ability to pinpoint the location of wireless phone users emergency calls.
Which cell phone is best?
Dual band, or tri-band phones, allow both analog and digital frequencies. If a 911 call does not connect in a digital mode, the alternate analog network is available.
The FCC mandates that any carrier offering multi-frequency phones, must allow the 911 call to roam to another service if the call can not be completed on their own network.
Currently, only Cingular/AT&T and Verizon offer dual or tri-bands for both their service and handsets. Sprint PCS and T-Mobile wireless phones rely on a digital band, but provide an option to roam for an analog signal.
Nextel uses the iDEN network for their cell phones. Because Nextel is the only major carrier using this technology, 911 calls may be difficult to "hand off" to other carriers when roaming and may be dropped.
Sandra Landwehr is the knowledgable webmaster of The Cell Phone Advisor.com, a site offering information and advice on choosing a free cell phone and plan.
 Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:08:18 GMT Reuters Entertainment Summary - Washington Post Washington Post - VENICE (Reuters) - Eleven days of red carpet galas, 21 films in competition and countless interviews, photo calls and parties at the Venice film festival boiled down to just one man in the end -- Mickey Rourke. Aronofsky Gracefully Wrestles Golden Lion Out Of Venice Buyers mixed on Toronto films Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:41:41 GMT Federer is set for his fifth consecutive US Open final (Keystone) - Swissinfo
Swissinfo - Switzerland's Roger Federer has won his semifinal at Flushing Meadows against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. Video: Federer Beats Djokovic to Reach US Open Final Federer Reaches Final Before Rain Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:38:36 GMT Michigan spared sting of West Nile - Detroit Free Press Detroit Free Press - BY SHERI McWHIRTER • RECORD-EAGLE • September 7, 2008 TRAVERSE CITY -- West Nile virus hasn't seriously bitten Michigan this year and seems to have spared the state's northern reaches. Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:53:44 GMT Suicide blast kills 35 in Pakistan; Zardari set to take power - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - AP, The New York Times PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The death toll in a devastating suicide blast has reached 35, officials said Sunday, as Pakistan prepared for Benazir Bhutto's widower to take over as president. Pakistan's Zardari urged to change image and focus Pakistan's Zardari prepares for presidency Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:14:31 GMT Fannie, Freddie Capital Concerns Prompt Paulson Plan (Update1) - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Dawn Kopecki and Alison Vekshin Sept. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson decided to take control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after a review found the beleaguered mortgage-finance companies used accounting methods that inflated their ... Video: Obama Calls for Changes in Mortgage Giants RPT-US Treasury sets news conference;GSE plan expected Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:59:54 GMT Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report - The Food and Drug Administration has asked the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade—which belong to a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers (TNF-alpha blockers)—to strengthen the warning for risk of fungal ... FDA urges more caution over TNF blocker infections Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:23:08 GMT Malkovich gets mad in Coens' 'Burn After Reading' - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - TORONTO (AP) - The Coen brothers' new movie gave John Malkovich a chance to blow off some steam. Malkovich's seething character in "Burn After Reading" bursts out in perpetual tantrums, a nice exercise in anger management, according to the actor. Toronto Film Festival vs. Brangelina – Who Gets the Spotlight? Pitt Rocks to Madonna Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:31:53 GMT More Web Site Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Short Message Service (SMS) is a quick and simple way... Read More Whether you're buying your first cell phone, upgrading to a... Read More A recent scientific study identified a link between microwave radiation... Read More Cellular phones are used by millions of people in the... Read More Bluetooth headsets make up one of the fastest wireless markets... Read More Okay, so we all know that you can change the... Read More Like millions of others, you may be the victim of... Read More Cell phones are great for people on-the-go, but talking on... Read More You can now save quite a bit of money on... Read More Ringtones, those digital sound bites that 'ring' through cell phones... Read More Each month, there are countless Americans who are faced with... Read More In the world today, you will but a phone, and... Read More Downloadable Ring tones - The Latest TrendWhat can you say... Read More Why Text?Text messaging is a quick way to stay in... Read More Nowadays teenagers are crazy about personalizing their cell phone and... Read More Please read the article and leave a comment with your... Read More If you are using an analog cordless or cellular telephone,... Read More If you make a lot of long distance phone calls,... Read More What is Mobile SMS/ Test Messaging?Mobile text Messaging, or Short... Read More We have become a society that demands the most technologically... Read More You're never too old to have some fun. With the... Read More The time has come and your teenager has asked for... Read More In today's world of communication technology, there's a lot out... Read More With more offshore fishing boats taking customers further out into... Read More Free cellular phone offers.You can definitely find a free cellular... Read More
Adsense
websites
SMS 101 - Short Message Service Explained
Buying A Cell Phone ? Making Smart Choices
Cell Phones Can Damage Your Eyes
Are Cellular Phones Just a Fashion Accessory?
Review of Bluetooth Wireless Headsets
Ringtone Creation Software - Creating Raves or Waves?
Cell Phone Abuse: Are You A Victim?
Safer Cell Phone Use For Drivers
Calling Cards and Prepaid Phone Cards To Help You Save Money
Cellular Ring Tones: The Latest Way To Say This is Me!
Cheap Long Distance or is It Really? The Search Continues...
Mobile Phone Unlocking
Ringtones Explained - Monophonic, Polyphonic, or Whatever Phonic Rings Your Bell
An Introduction to Text Messaging
Cell Phone Wallpaper Bonanza
Don?t Get Caught Out by the Mobile Phone Matrix Scams
Prevent Phone Monitoring with Digital Spread Spectrum
Prepaid Phone Cards Will Save You Money On All Your Long Distance Calls
Why Mobile SMS/Text Messaging?
Can You Anticipate The Cell Phones Of The Future?
Have Some Fun With Cell Phone Games
Should Your Teenage Have A Cellular Phone?
Prepaid Cell Phones ? Are They Right For You
Satellite Phones: Essential for the Marine Industry
Free Cellular Phone
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
How To Save Money On Long Distance Calling Cards And Cheap Phone Cards
In the old days (7-10 years ago) there were no... Read More
Cell Phone Safety
Cell phone safety is a topic widely debated around the... Read More
How to Find the Best Cellular Phone Service Deal
Finding the best cellular phone service deal can seem as... Read More
The Convenience Of Prepaid Wireless Service And Phone Cards
Prepaid wireless service and phone cards are a convenient, reliable... Read More
Mobile Phone Unlocking
In the world today, you will but a phone, and... Read More
Don?t Get Caught Out by the Mobile Phone Matrix Scams
Please read the article and leave a comment with your... Read More
Buying a New Business Phone System
Buying a new business phone system is one of the... Read More
Selecting a Cell Phone
More Than Just a PhoneSelecting a cell phone is no... Read More
Letting Go of 3G - A Viable Alternative for Asian Carriers
Most Asian cellular carriers mulling over 3G have chalked out... Read More
Samsung SGH-x427m Portable Digital Telephone
Switching cell phone providers allows consumers the opportunity to purchase... Read More
Protect Your One and Only Brain From Cell Phone Radiation
Cell Phones have become a part and parcel of everybody's... Read More
SMS 101 - Short Message Service Explained
Short Message Service (SMS) is a quick and simple way... Read More
Cellular Phone Accessory
Cellular phone accessory list.There is a wide variety of products... Read More
Cordless Phone Systems
Cordless phone systems offer many features and are ideal for... Read More
Why Your Business Should Consider SMS
As an organisation, the use of SMS might seem too... Read More
DECT - A Brief Explanation and How We Could Benefit From It
DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications. Unlike analogue cordless... Read More
Cell Phone in Forests
We are putting cell phone towers in the forests for... Read More
Built Camera Cell in Phone
Built camera in cell phone - technology is available.The built... Read More
Cell Phone Plans ? Choices Abound!
The Future Is FlexibleGone are the days when the only... Read More
Telephone Tips, Techniques and Etiquette
Whether using the telephone for business or personal use, using... Read More
Add a Cell Phone Booster to Make Life a Little Easy
Cell Phones have become a mainstay for every earthling. Right... Read More
Getting the Most of Your Cell Phone Batteries
Are you planning on buying a new phone in the... Read More
Prepaid Cell Phones ? Are They Right For You
In today's world of communication technology, there's a lot out... Read More
Kids & Cell Phones
Is it safety? Is it security? Or is it just... Read More
Cell Phone Dos and Donts For Teens!
There are certain things people just shouldn't do with cell... Read More
Mobile & Cell Phone |