We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the benefits of next-generation 911 (NG911) given how mobile devices have changed the way we communicate. However, it’s important to understand that NG911 also makes emergency response more effective by integrating with legacy technology.
Let’s look at Arizona as an example. Arizona is a state that has been making significant headway in its NG911 transition, and recently reported that its NG911 system allowed responders to better locate 911 callers by using latitude and longitude coordinates. They could locate someone calling with a cell phone within 150 feet, but could also better identify the origin of a landline call based on geolocation versus relying on billing addresses.
According to a recent report, almost 30% of homes in the US still have a landline. Particularly for adults that are aged 65 and older, that number increases to nearly 50%, and there are still 2% of homes that rely on a landline alone. While we have become more reliant on our cell phones, they haven’t completely replaced the fixed phones we once found in every household.
Taking a deeper look, a recent study by the National Center for Health Statistics found that there are two key characteristics of adults that rely entirely or mostly on landlines: as referenced above, they are 65 and older, but they also live in more rural areas. Elderly populations are already at a greater risk of a medical emergency, and rural areas have fewer identifying landmarks to determine a specific location, which is why precise emergency response in these instances is critical. In fact, adults aged 65 and older still accounted for over 17% of the US population and generally lived outside of metro areas as of 2022.
As technology continues to evolve, it’s important that emergency services evolve with it. However, it’s equally important that these new services also work with pre-existing infrastructure, especially as that infrastructure serves people who are more likely to need a swift emergency response.
At Comtech, we know the importance of NG911 and the opportunities it represents for our business. We’re a proud provider of NG911 services to the state of Arizona, having recently completed the statewide transition earlier this year, as well as a number of other states across the US. Stay tuned to learn more about the NG911 market and our place in it.
