Minister Welcomes CRTC Decision

Nova Scotians who use cellular phones will receive improved 911 emergency service thanks to an order issued by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

On Feb. 2, the CRTC gave Canadian wireless service providers one year to upgrade their services to provide enhanced 911. Enhanced 911 uses location technology, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or triangulation between cell towers to identify a caller's location.

GPS uses satellites to identify a cellphone's location, but it often won't work if the caller is in a building, vehicle or even dense forest. Triangulation analyzes the distance the cellphone's signal travels to reach three cell towers to calculate the caller's location.

"This is an important improvement in public safety because it will help emergency personnel respond quickly to 911 calls made from cellular phones," said Emergency Management Minister David Morse. "This will save lives."

Nova Scotia's 911 system handles about 170,000 calls per year. More than 40 per cent of them are made from cellular phones.

The CRTC gave wireless service providers until Feb. 1, 2010, to put the required technology in place. The technology will enable emergency responders to pinpoint a caller's location generally within a radius of 10 to 300 metres. Such systems are widely employed in the United States.

"Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office has been at the forefront pushing for the adoption of enhanced 911 technology in Canada, and government is very pleased that the CRTC has agreed with us," Mr. Morse said.

The CRTC order is posted on the commission's website at www.crtc.gc.ca .