Four major carriers in the United States including Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon now offer a new "text-to-911" service, which launched on Thursday.
The new service is only available in selected U.S. states and counties. Each region will have its own way of handling texts on the backend as well.
Text-to-911 works in compliance with the Policy Statement and 2nd FNPRM adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released at the end of January this year. At that time, all wireless telephone companies and service providers of interconnected text messaging should allow consumers to send text messages to 911.
These four carrier giants have voluntarily committed to switch into the "text-to-911" service, after confirming that certain call centers in specific areas can receive these types of calls. However, a full rollout of the texting scheme across the country may take several years.
Only select counties in some US states now have the "text-to-911" option. These include counties in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Maine. Maryland, Montana, New York, North Carolina and Ohio are also participating in the push. Those who will attempt to use the new service where it is not yet available with get a "bounce back message" advising them to make a voice call instead.
However, Techcrunch warned that users should avoid using a text message for emergency cases because one might forget to include the full address which is required information since responders will not be able to trace a location through a text message. Photo and video attachments are not allowed. Responders will be able to get more information on a call and response will be faster especially for mental or medical situations.
