Cellular providers work to upgrade 911 system

If there's anything we can count on in this world, it's the ability to dial 911 to summon help in an emergency. That's true even if we can't talk, because the system knows the physical location of every telephone in communities with socalled Enhanced 911 service.

Now, the Federal Communications

Since April 1, 1998, cellular 911 calls have provided the telephone number of the cellular handset and the location of the nearest radio tower handling the call. Figuring out where the caller is located is another matter, since a cellular call can come from anywhere.

The FCC has ruled that by Dec. 31, 2005, at the very latest, 95 percent of all cellular 911 phone calls must transmit the latitude and longitude of the caller to within 100 meters or less, and all call centers must be able to process and display the location information.