Since 2014, more and more countries in both Northern and Southern hemispheres have been using accurate handset-based location of emergency callers. There are numerous reports of its benefits across countries. As an example, it is estimated that between 2024 and 2033, handset-based location could potentially save between 8,620 and 10,530 lives in total in the European Union, and could positively impact between 88,360 and 104,640 lives in total in the EU.¹ In the UK alone, the total economic benefits in the 9 years following the deployment of handset-based location is estimated at close to 14 billion EUR.²

Unfortunately, while this location data is widely available as native on both Android and iOS phones, its use in the context of emergency calls remains mostly limited to countries in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where handset-based location has been encouraged by additional regulation³ and industry best efforts to improve caller location.

We, members of the Collaborative Coalition of International Public Safety (CC:IPS), call on public authorities and emergency services from countries across the globe to actively engage with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and smartphone Operating Systems providers towards the deployment of accurate handset-based caller location.

Moreover, we call on smartphone Operating Systems providers to actively publicize the availability of handset-based location and to encourage public authorities and MNOs to make use of it.

Lastly, we call on international organisations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to raise awareness on the availability of handset-based location and to encourage its member countries to deploy such a life-saving feature.

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More information available Here.