Posted: 7/1/2013 8:00:24 PM EDT
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Say someone called 911 but didn't know their location. Supposing that GPS data was not available, how accurately would they be able to get to you using just the cell towers? |
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Depends on location and number of towers in your area.
More towers, better location ability. Here's the requirements in regards to E911 phase 1 and 2 capabilities, just to give you an idea. E911 Phase 1: Wireless network operators must identify the phone number and cell phone tower used by callers, within six minutes of a request by a PSAP. E911 Phase 2 95% of a network operator's in-service phones must be E911 compliant ("location capable") by December 31, 2005. (Several carriers missed this deadline, and were fined by the FCC.[4]) Wireless network operators must provide the latitude and longitude of callers within 300 meters, within six minutes of a request by a PSAP.[5] Accuracy rates must meet FCC standards on average within any given participating PSAP service area by September 11, 2012 (deferred from September 11, 2008).[6] |
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Looks to be a moving target. but 50-300 yards more or less from what I've seen.
The actual GPS featured phones would probably be more accurrate. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-911-services The FCC’s wireless 911 rules apply to all wireless licensees, broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS) licensees and certain Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) licensees. Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) providers, however, are currently excluded. The FCC’s basic 911 rules require wireless service providers to transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider’s service or not. Phase I Enhaced 911 (E911) rules require wireless service providers to provide the PSAP with the telephone number of the originator of a wireless 911 call and the location of the cell site or base station transmitting the call. Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to provide more precise location information to PSAPs; specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. This information must be accurate to within 50 to 300 meters depending upon the type of location technology used. The FCC recently required wireless carriers to provide more precise location information to PSAPs. As a result, wireless carriers will be required to comply with the FCC’s location accuracy rules at either a county-based or PSAP-based geographic level. The new standards apply to outdoor measurements only, as indoor use poses unique obstacles. Compliance The FCC recently established benchmarks that wireless service providers must meet over a period of eight years – providing wireless carriers with a reasonable amount of time to meet the agency’s more stringent location accuracy requirements. Beginning in 2011, wireless service providers have been required to file with the FCC a list of counties, or portions of counties, that they seek to exclude from the location accuracy requirements. The FCC will permit wireless carriers to exclude counties, or portions of counties, only where wireless carriers determine that providing location accuracy is limited, or technologically impossible, because of either heavy forestation or the inability to triangulate a caller’s location. Wireless carriers must report any changes to their exclusion lists within thirty days of such changes. The exclusion lists and changes must be reported in the record of the FCC’s docketed proceeding addressing location accuracy, PS Docket No. 07-114, which is publicly available on the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) webpage. Tips for Consumers As stated above, a wireless service provider may not be able to accurately and automatically determine a 911 caller’s location. As a result, when replacing your handset, you should always ask about the new handset's E911 capabilities. Some providers may offer incentives to encourage customers without location-capable phones to obtain new location-capable phones. For example, they may offer location-capable handsets at a discount. |
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Lol. Psap calls me. I make them fax me the request on deparment letterhead. I then look up what tower sub is on. I then tell psap (usually)
"Sub is between 0 and 120 degrees from tower in x location. (Palmer, nikiski, ninilchick, etc.) Sometimes I say. "Sub is on an omni tower, so sub is somewhere in homer." Sometimes I get a new gal at the psap, so I have to straighten her out that I am not, in fact, csi. Makes up for the few times a cop has told me that they aren't csi. |
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Quoted:
Lol. Psap calls me. I make them fax me the request on deparment letterhead. I then look up what tower sub is on. I then tell psap (usually) "Sub is between 0 and 120 degrees from tower in x location. (Palmer, nikiski, ninilchick, etc.) Sometimes I say. "Sub is on an omni tower, so sub is somewhere in homer." Sometimes I get a new gal at the psap, so I have to straighten her out that I am not, in fact, csi. Makes up for the few times a cop has told me that they aren't csi. When they FIRST turned up phase 1, some of the conversations with the PSAPs (brand new toys, no training) were amusing. I still remember the little back of a pickup PSAP that answered "Hello?" "Uh, yeaaaah, this is xxxx with xxxx, placing an e911 test call, what PSAP is this please?" "This is Bob's e911, whatcha want? 
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