Verizon to start allowing texts to 911 emergency services
We can all agree that 911 emergency services can be a life-saver. Therefore, it is a service that should be improved as much as possible, and it seems Verizon Wireless will be the first to take the next step forward. Big Red is currently working on rolling out the ability to send text messages to 911.
Whether you are in a hostage situation or have speech/hearing disabilities, calling 911 can simply be inconvenient (or impossible). Just imagine how many lives could be saved with this feature? And it is a bit disappointing to hear that companies have been taking their sweet time with this since it was suggested by the FCC in 2010.
It might also be a good idea if our phones’ GPS and location services could activated once one sends a text to 911. That would probably be a software issue, but it is definitely possible. I know this could raise certain privacy concerns, in terms of location. Personally, I would be more than willing to give my location to the authorities during emergency situations, though. But what do you think?
Verizon is said to have this feature ready by early 2013, at the soonest. It will simply go through Verizon’s towers as normal text messages, so no upgrades or changes will be needed once the service rolls out. Until then, we will have to stick with good ol’ calling when we want to reach 911 operators. So, what is next? 911 E-mail?
[Via: Engadget]