Google makes Android emergency location service available to all Canadian users

Alphabet Inc.’s Google has unveiled the widespread availability of Android emergency location service (ELS) for all android users across Canada in a bid to enhance emergency response efficiency. This latest initiative aims to improve emergency services by providing precise and rapid location information to first responders when users dial 911. “An accurate and fast emergency location can help reduce response times and in some cases make the difference between life and death,” the company stated in its Monday release. According to Google, more than 80 per cent of emergency calls are made from mobile and traditional location technology can be imprecise when the call is made indoors or in a large search area. The collaborative effort between Google, the CRTC’s Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG), and partners such as BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. has facilitated the rollout of Android ELS across the country to deal with these issues. Android ELS, uses the full spectrum of location technologies including Wi-Fi, GPS, and cell towers. It automatically activates when a user dials 911, without requiring any additional hardware or apps. It calculates the caller's precise location on their device and securely transmits this information to emergency services partners. The precise location data is never seen, handled, or shared with Google, the company stated. Android ELS is now available on more than 99 per cent of Android phones in use in Canada, regardless of the mobile provider. Even in areas where 911 call location information is not directly shared by telecommunication companies, Google has collaborated with RapidSOS to ensure accessibility to emergency service providers. The CRTC is pushing network providers to switch over to Internet protocol-based networks to support next-generation (NG911) service. In March, the regulator delayed the transition in certain regions, having found that telecoms in areas with basic emergency service (B911) cannot feasibly implement NG911 in the same manner or time frame as areas with enhanced services (E911). Following interventions from the City of Calgary and the province of British Columbia, the CRTC is considering requiring network providers to establish an end-to-end NG911 testing environment to support the service's reliability and enable interoperability testing of future networks.

Google makes Android emergency location service available to all Canadian users

News | May 13, 2024

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Google makes Android emergency location service available to all Canadian users

News | May 13, 2024

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