Inland Cellular is proud to announce that we have E911 Phase II service in all Washington counties that we serve.  This is possible through the cooperation of Inland Cellular, the counties, and local 9-1-1 centers, which have each invested in technology enhancements to protect wireless callers in emergencies. Wireless Phase II allows for a quicker emergency response to your call for help.

Here’s some background on E911:

In 1997 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established a two-phase plan to provide Automatic Number Identification (ANI) and Automatic Location Identification (ALI) service on all wireless phones. This service, known as the enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) system, has been available since 1998 on all wireline phones in Washington. The FCC ruled that wireless carriers must provide, based upon request by the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), both ANI and ALI on all 9-1-1 wireless calls received at the state’s 63 PSAPs or call centers. Inland Cellular has been E911 Phase 1 compliant for some time.

Wireless Phase I service allows the cell phone’s call back number and the location of the cell tower from which the call originated to automatically display at the 9-1-1 call taker’s work station. FCC Phase II orders wireless carriers to provide more precise location (the longitude and latitude) information with location accuracy up to 300 meters dependent upon location technology when calls are placed to 9-1-1. Wireless ALI is a critical service since often wireless 9-1-1 callers are unable to provide the location from which they are calling or the caller is unable to speak.  Handset-based Phase II location technology (such as is used at Inland Cellular) provides location accuracy within 50 meters 66 percent of the time and 100 meters 95 percent of the time.

As a public service, cell phone customers may check carrier service capability by accessing the Enhanced 9-1-1 website at: http://emd.wa.gov/2-e9-1-1/wireless/01-wireless-idx.htm.

Most digital phones sold by Inland Cellular since November 2003 are “ALI Capable”, which means the phone is capable of sending location information to the PSAP during a 911 call. NOTE: this capability only works if you have an ALI capable phone and you are calling in a digital service area. Location information is not sent from analog-only phones, some older digital phones, or when calling in analog mode.* Also, Phase II location service is not currently available in the Idaho counties that we serve (however, we will work closely with PSAPs in Idaho to provide this service when it is requested).

In Washington State, Inland Cellular has the following E911 services:

Counties served:  Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Walla Walla, and Whitman

Phase I Coverage:  Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Walla Walla, Whitman

Phase II Coverage:   Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Walla Walla, Whitman,

Phase II Coverage Idaho:  City of Moscow, and Nez Perce County.

*While we have attempted to provide ALI location service to our customers in Washington, there are many factors that affect a call which may prevent this information from being received at the PSAP. Therefore, we cannot guarantee location information will be received at the PSAP on every call.