AT&T becomes first US carrier to support 911 location-based routing

AT&T has announced that it’s the first carrier to use location-based routing for 911 calls across the country. This feature allows AT&T to more quickly and accurately detect where a wireless 911 call is coming from. It utilizes the device’s GPS and hybrid information to direct the call to the correct call center. 

With the location-based routing feature, a device can be located and routed within 50 meters of its location. Before, 911 calls were routed based on the location of cell towers – typically a 10-mile radius. This could cause delays in emergency response with calls made in areas where state, county, or city boundaries overlap.

AT&T has also said that the location-based routing feature only turns on when someone calls 911. It was clarified that the only people receiving your location information are the dispatchers at the call center. Additionally, AT&T is now the only carrier with FirstNet, using end-to-end emergency communication solutions to support those in public safety.

 “Providing our customers with reliable connectivity and high-quality service on America’s largest wireless network is what we strive for everyday at AT&T. Launching this industry-leading public safety solution allows us to ultimately help improve the connections and efficiency for our wireless customers by offering more accurate service when making emergency calls.”

Chris Sambar, EVP, AT&T

The rollout is happening right now across the United States. Location-based routing is already available in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Guam. More regions will join the rollout in the coming weeks and the rollout will be complete by the end of June.