Cell phones lack reliable tracking for 911

Results varied based on carriers and geography. A few communities, however, stood out for poor performance, among them Marion County, Fla., which includes the city of Ocala; Onondaga County in New York and Jasper County, Mo.

If accuracy were measured at the community level, according to APCO's results, 71 percent of the tests would get a failing grade. But companies are allowed to measure their accuracy over a much larger area — an entire state, for example. That means highly accurate results in one area may drive up the average overall.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told the AP earlier this month that he will recommend to the commission that it order companies to begin testing at the community, or "public safety answering point" level.

Joe Farren, spokesman for CTIA, the wireless industry's lobbying association, said when customers call 911 that "the first thing you should do if you can, is to provide your location."

Farren said the technology is "certainly not perfect" and it was "was never envisioned to be perfect," but that it is "as good as today's technology allows it to be."

Each of the wireless companies tested provided service in at least two of the test markets. A total of 203 telephone calls per carrier were made from randomly selected areas within the sample communities.

Testers calculated the distance between the actual origination point of the call and the displayed location to determine accuracy.

The report didn't name carriers, but it is well known what kind of location technologies they use.

Cingular Wireless, now wholly owned by AT&T Inc., uses network-based technology. The company is the largest cell phone provider with 61 million subscribers. T-Mobile USA, with about 25 million subscribers, also uses network technology. Verizon Wireless, with 59 million subscribers, and Sprint Nextel use satellite technology.

Generally speaking, the network solution works better in urban areas where it may be difficult for a satellite signal to penetrate buildings, but not so well in rural areas because of a lack of towers. Phones that use satellite technology are excellent in rural areas where there is little overhead interference.

While the report pointed out the generally poor performance of the wireless industry in locating 911 callers, it also pointed out a need for 911 call centers to work closely with providers and the importance of public education.

A new generation of telephone customers is being raised without using land-based telephone lines. But they still expect rescuers to be able to find them.

The issue has become more critical as the number of 911 calls from cell phones exceeds those coming from land lines, public safety experts say.

CTIA reports that 230,000 calls to 911 are made from cell phones each day. The group also estimates that 8.4 percent of households are "wireless only."

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