New Technology for Wireless 911 Calls Can Save Lives; Rural Cellular Corporation and Technology Consortium Previews Enhanced 911 Phase II Capability - Brief Article

Cambridge Telcom Report, August 16, 1999

Next year, nearly 50 million emergency 911 calls will be made from wireless phones, yet local authorities cannot pinpoint the caller's location. This situation now causes life-threatening delays. Six companies: Rural Cellular Corporation, CML Technologies, GeoComm, Independent Emergency Services, KSI and Datamaster have pooled their resources to solve this problem, making it possible to pinpoint wireless users who are in an emergency situation. This new system saves time, and when implemented, will no doubt save lives.

Rural Cellular Corporation (RCC), along with five other companies - CML Technologies, 911 Datamaster Inc., GeoComm, Inc., Independent Emergency Services, LLC. (IES), and KSI, Inc. - is unveiling a breakthrough network-based technology that could revolutionize the world of 911 calls made from wireless (cellular and PCS) phones. Previewed at the International Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) '99 Conference, this new technology - Enhanced 911 Phase II - will enable police to automatically pinpoint the location of a wireless phone user calling 911 for help, thus speeding response time.

The technology works by allowing local authorities to hone in on the signal emitted by the wireless phone itself. No user intervention is required, and the system works regardless of the wireless provider and handset used. Because it is network-based, the new system also represents a significant advance over emerging handset-based technologies that require wireless subscribers to install a special device in their phone in order to help police track their location.

The system also uses traditional Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) equipment and technology and requires the addition of only limited equipment by the 911-dispatch center. Enhanced 911 Phase II is expected to be phased in over time on a state-by-state basis.

"The growth in wireless usage has simply exploded," said Richard Ekstrand, president and CEO of Rural Cellular Corp. "The processing of 911 calls from wireless phones has been challenging for several years. This issue is compounded by the exponential growth in the number of wireless subscribers, and with it, the explosion in growth of calls made to 911 from these phones. We are pleased to be at the forefront of a solution that, when implemented, has the potential to save many lives."

From 1994 to 1998, the number of wireless subscribers nearly tripled, from 24 million to 69 million. By 2000, this number is expected to exceed 100 million, according to Paul Kagan Associates, Inc. Industry sources also report that nearly 36 million emergency calls - an average of 68 calls per minute - were made by wireless users last year. This number is predicted to top 50 million in the next year.

To address this problem and find a solution to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) mandate, RCC joined with its five technology "partners" in 1998 and formed a team to make emergency 911 positioning data available to the proper authorities.

"Each company involved in this project has contributed a great deal of time, money, and knowledge to bring wireless subscribers enhanced safety and a sense of security when calling 911 from their wireless phone. Today, the system is a reality. Even in its testing stages, the system works better than anyone anticipated," noted Jim Altstadt, project manager and Research and Development Manager at RCC.

Rural Cellular Corporation is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq:RCCC) headquartered in Alexandria, Minnesota. It provides cellular, PCS, paging and long distance services to the Upper Midwest and Northeastern regions of the United States.