AT&T launches new 911 location service, here is how it works

AT&T has just announced a major upgrade to its current 911 location service, which will result in a faster, more accurate tracking of 911 calls. This is the first US carrier to launch so-called location-based routing to automatically transmit 911 calls to the appropriate 911 call centers across the country.

The new feature added to the current 911 location service is called “Locate Before Route” and has been specifically built for AT&T by Intrado. It will allow the carrier to accurately identify where a wireless 911 call is coming from using device GPS and hybrid information to route the call to the correct 911 call center.

According to AT&T, thanks to location-based routing, it will now be able to locate a device and route it within 50 meters of its location. Without the upgrade, wireless 911 calls were routed based on the location of cell towers, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius, so the difference is astonishing.

AT&T’s upgraded 911 location service will be rolled out nationwide, but right now it’s only available Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Guam. Additional regions will be added over the next several weeks, with the nationwide rollout expected to be fully complete by the end of June.