3 min read

Wireless Carrier and 911 Technology: A Look at Innovations and Key Highlights

As wireless technologies continue to emerge and evolve in 2022, Intrado has been busy keeping up with and ahead of these advancements while also setting the pace for technology deployments. Over the past year we have expanded our wireless portfolio and capabilities to support new solutions, use cases, and legislation mandates. 

Notable achievements and revolutionary 911 capabilities that have been introduced recently include the following:

5G Wireless 911 Call Routing Deployments

5G is the wave of the future for wireless carriers and will revolutionize IoT (Internet of Things), private networks, and overall speed. Intrado has rolled out our 5G wireless 911 routing service in private network implementations.  

We began developing and building for 5G wireless 911 compliance several years ago and secured the first native 5G tier 1 mobile operator contract in 2021 – an exciting milestone that will result in 5G voice deployed at scale across the United States. Leveraging this experience to support the proliferation of private 5G networks was a natural extension, enabling us to future-proof and support 5G voice deployments as they continue to evolve. Intrado is fully prepared to support 911 use cases in this area and is partnering with wireless carriers, hardware manufacturers, and enterprises across various industries.

Click here to read the full press release about our 5G wireless innovations. 

Private Wireless  

With CBRS spectrum auctions and the clear market direction for private wireless, there appears to be a high demand for private wireless in industries including Energy and Utilities, Manufacturing, and Mining – just to name a few. These private networks, often leveraging 5G technology, will revolutionize how business is done. In addition, they will produce safer, more secure working environments and will, of course, require access to 911. Intrado is leveraging its unique position in the market to usher this new technology into 911 compliance as deployments begin to reach scale in 2022 and beyond.

Location Enhancements for TXT29-1-1® 

Intrado TXT29-1-1® now offers enhanced location accuracy into the emergency text flow. Similar to location-based routing, the solution provides a more accurate initial routing of TXT29-1-1 requests while providing the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) with precise location data for dispatch purposes. The enhancement increases reliability and value of TXT29-1-1 for those who are in need of emergency assistance while unable to speak.

Z-Axis Capabilities for Wireless Carriers and Beyond  

Harnessing the latest location technology innovations, Intrado is ensuring wireless carriers and the broader public safety community are prepared with tools to address Z-Axis mandates (e.g. 5th RPO). Among the requirements, 911 caller location must include not just latitude and longitude, but also elevation – particularly important in dense urban environments where wireless 911 calls often originate from high floors in a building.

Continued Innovation on Dispatchable Location  

Intrado solutions also support the 6th RPO by providing dispatchable locations where technically feasible. Our VoWiFi and Smallcell/Femtocell/Distributed Antenna solutions assist carriers in delivering a dispatchable address for public safety use. 

We believe dispatchable location requirements for wireless 911 will continue to evolve and we are proactively driving innovations to meet these anticipated changes. By leveraging proprietary technologies and through strategic partnerships, Intrado continually aims to improve location experience for public safety, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for those in need of emergency assistance as well as first responders.

IP Call Delivery and Native i3 Support

As IP-based public safety networks (ESINets) become more prevalent, the ability to deliver calls via IP directly into public safety is becoming more common. Each ESINet has unique requirements and expectations around message delivery. Further, many of these networks are beginning to support full end-to-end i3, the standard for true Next Generation 911 content delivery. Given its unique position across the full 911 continuum, Intrado is supporting wireless carriers by ensuring 911 call delivery regardless of where each PSAP is at in its Next Generation technology evolution. This allows providers to instead focus on wireless networks and advancing technologies. 

New Delivery Methods to 911 via Emergency Data Broker

One of the promises of Next Generation 911 is the ability to deliver richer, contextual data that will improve emergency response through enhanced situational awareness. Intrado Emergency Data Broker makes this a reality as information that could not be delivered via traditional connections -- such as alarm signals, advanced vehicle telematic information, and other data from IoT devices -- can now be delivered to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) nationwide at no cost. When this data is accessible to first responders, this could have a significant impact during emergencies. Emergency Data Broker provides valuable contextual information during a 911 call that can improve emergency response outcomes.

Pragmatic Cloud Strategy 

Intrado is committed to a cloud-first strategy, and this applies to our wireless community as well. We are actively moving ecosystem components to a cloud environment which will yield increased flexibility and scalability while modernizing the entire 911 ecosystem – especially with significant 5G adoption rates expected right around the corner.  

As the leader in wireless carrier support, Intrado is dedicated to a sustained path of innovation and enhancement. That’s why we are tracking emerging trends and actively driving innovations to address customer needs and the ever-evolving wireless technology landscape. To learn more about 5G private wireless and other innovations in wireless carrier and 911 technologies, visit the Intrado team at Booth #603 at the 2022 CCA Mobile Carriers Show. 

 

Location-Based Routing Compliance Set by FCC - Are You Ready?

Location-Based Routing Compliance Set by FCC - Are You Ready?

Location-Based Routing (LBR) just got more real. The compliance timeline has been set.

Read More
Getting Your Public Safety Data to Exceed Expectations

1 min read

Getting Your Public Safety Data to Exceed Expectations

Wireless Routing Analysis (WRA) is a groundbreaking way to tie disparate data points together. WRA incorporates call detail record elements from the...

Read More
Transforming How 911 Calls are Routed to Public Safety: Introducing Locate Before Route

2 min read

Transforming How 911 Calls are Routed to Public Safety: Introducing Locate Before Route

Intrado recently launched its location-based routing feature for wireless 911 callers, Locate Before Route. This new industry-first technology...

Read More