If you’ve ever had to call for emergency help, you know how scary it can be. According to the National Emergency Number Association, 240-million such calls are made a year and more than 80% come from mobile devices. That means there’s a good chance the person in trouble isn’t home.
It’s hard for a dispatcher to pin down a location if the caller doesn’t know exactly where they are or can’t communicate the info. That’s where Apple is stepping in. As part of their iOS 12 update, the tech giant is giving users a 911 first responder service. Yes, they’ll be using your data, but it could be a matter of life or death.
The feature will be able to calculate a caller’s location from data collected from Wi-Fi access points, nearby cell towers and GPS. First responders will get that information and get to you faster.
- And by the by...Google does have a similar version, it just isn’t available yet, or in the near future, for Android users in the US.
Source: 24/7 Wall Street