AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile tout Z-axis support for 911

The nation’s biggest wireless network operators told the FCC earlier this month that they are successfully securing Z-axis location data for 911 calls. That’s critical because the information can be combined with existing X- and Y-axis data in order to let emergency responders know exactly which floor a 911 caller in a skyscraper is located, instead of requiring first responders to search the entire building.

“In sum, the nationwide wireless providers, in conjunction with Apple and Google, today are delivering accurate and timely Z-axis information with wireless 911 calls so that public safety professionals can invest in and leverage vertical location information to improve public safety outcomes,” the CTIA – a trade association that represents the nation’s big wireless network operators – wrote in a report to the FCC.

The association said it conducted thousands of test 911 calls this spring across more than 50 multi-story buildings that varied in height, construction materials (such as glass, brick and stone), and use (including commercial and residential). CTIA said the tests showed that the operators are successfully locating at least 80% of 911 calls within three meters vertically, per FCC requirements outlined in 2019.

The association reported the tests relied on Google’s Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) that was introduced in 2018, and Apple’s Hybridized Emergency Location (HELO) that was also introduced in 2018. The two companies provide the underlying software for the vast majority of smartphones in the US market. The companies have variously explained that their location technologies rely on data ranging from cell tower location information to on-device data sources like GPS and Wi-Fi access points.

To the Z-axis, and beyond

To be clear, obtaining such Z-axis location data for 911 calls is just one step in the process. In order to deliver that information to emergency responders like police and firefighters, 911 call centers must ensure their systems are able to receive Z-axis location data, and then they must accurately deliver that data to on-site personnel.

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