Google will help the 911 service determine the location of subscribers

By: Anton Melnik | 18.02.2018, 22:25

The search giant is testing a new geolocation detection system for callers in the rescue service 911. The initiative can save a lot of lives in emergency situations, when every minute is expensive.

And it works

In the first 30 seconds of the call, Google technology determined the caller's location by 80% more accurately than the systems used by mobile operators. For comparison, the data of mobile operators allowed to determine where the person is, with an accuracy of 160 m, while the Google system determined the location with an accuracy of 36 m. For obvious reasons, the new technology does not work with fixed phones, and testing was conducted only on gadgets, working under the operating system Android. However, it is possible that in the future other mobile OS will be adapted.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, reducing the response time to an emergency call for at least 1 minute will save more than 10,000 lives annually. In addition, if the subscriber does not speak English or speaks vaguely - this will not interfere with the operation of the system. Introducing a new technology in the US, Google is planning this year.

Source: TheVerge