According to Wired’s Epicenter, the FCC wants to add SMS and mobile video support for the 911 emergency service as a way to report crimes as they happen. This would be the first time since 2001 the service has changed.
Also included in the FCC’s proposal to update the service would be 911 alerts from sensors, such as smoke detectors and alarms, so that police could be alerted to things such as break-ins and fires before they’re reported. Wired says this is still all in the early stages, as crucial necessities such as funding have yet to be figured out for the service, which takes 230 million calls every year. And of those 230 million calls, 70 percent of those come from cellphones now. [Wired] (Photo courtesy of Kaleb Fulgham)
