Telus announced on Thursday it has rolled out the first phase of migration to Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) services in B.C. and Alberta. The company says Canada is the first country globally to start the rollout on a national level.
The IP-based NG9-1-1 network offers “more precise location data to video and photo sharing, and enabling connected vehicles to contact public safety services independently,” says Telus, which is working with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on the rollout.
“In an emergency, every second counts and information is critical. Bringing this next-generation technology to the people of Alberta and B.C. will save lives, and that is something that we at TELUS are very proud to support,” said Jerome Birot, VP-Voice & Services Development Opportunities at TELUS, in a statement.
Traditional 911 services are limited to voice calls and text messages in specific, limited circumstances. But NG9-1-1 will eventually add video calling, widespread text messaging and document sharing (such as uploading images) with first responders.
“Our world-leading 5G network provides the perfect environment to bring the future of emergency communications, Next-Generation 9-1-1, to life, enabling the seamless flow of information, including text, photos and video, to first responders, while facilitating vastly enhanced functionality in the future – this is just the beginning,” added Birot.
The CRTC has mandated all phone and wireless service companies to update networks from analog to digital to support NG9-1-1 services, by March 1, 2022.
