#911

The FCC has divided its wireless E911 program into two parts - Phase I and Phase II. Under Phase I, the FCC requires carriers, within six months of a valid request by a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), 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.

Under Phase II, the FCC requires wireless carriers, within six months of a valid request by a PSAP, to begin providing information that is more precise to PSAPs, specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller.

Real-world usability will also hinge on emergency communications partners — if a local 911 or 112 center doesn’t have the necessary systems in place, the app won’t be able to complete video handoff even if the phone could otherwise do so.

That’s where ecosystem partnerships come into play. Numerous US and international agencies rely on vendor platforms like those provided by RapidSOS and other NG911 players to obtain advanced mobile location and additional data. Integrating Google’s live video into those workflows would turn the feature into a practical tool that works across thousands of public safety answering points, not just in isolated pilots.