Better location information for mobile calls to Triple Zero

Emergency services organisations can now obtain automatic access to improved information about the location of Australians who dial Triple Zero (000) seeking help from a mobile.

New capabilities put in place by all Australian mobile phone carriers (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone) and by Telstra as the Emergency Call Person for 000 mean they can now automatically send enhanced location information about the caller based on the adjacent mobile cell tower sites to police, fire and ambulance services that have implemented the capability.

This enhanced location information has the potential to save time in locating and reaching people in life-threatening emergency situations.

John Stanton, CEO of Communications Alliance, said the improvements announced today would allow emergency services to access additional location information on a caller’s whereabouts in emergencies.

“Currently mobile calls account for around 66% of calls made to Triple Zero. Until now, emergency calls from mobile phones have not automatically provided location information in relation to the adjacent mobile cell towers that the emergency call is being made from,” said Stanton.

“This is not an issue for the majority of mobile calls made to Triple Zero, as in most cases the caller can tell the emergency service organisation where they are located, but there are times when callers are distressed, injured, confused or unfamiliar with their surrounding environment - making it difficult for them to report their location.”

This initiative has been made possible by a collaborative effort between the carriers and the Emergency Call Person, along with support from the ACMA, the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency and the Department of Communications.

“The ACMA has been keen to facilitate this initiative and welcomes the introduction of this new industry capability. We recognise the investment of significant resources and expertise by the mobile carriers and national Triple Zero service operator to deliver this important public safety initiative” said ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman.

“The progressive implementation of these new capabilities by emergency service organisations over the next nine months is expected to deliver further public benefit and assist in reducing the emergency response times for emergency callers as information about the location of the caller relative to the adjacent mobile cell towers is automatically sent to the emergency service organisations with the corresponding customer information,” Stanton said.