The Future of Enhanced 911 (Winter, 2001-2002) 
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By Wumpus Hunter

By 2005, if you carry a cell phone your wireless carrier will have the ability
to track your location with an accuracy of about 50 meters. No, this isn't some
dystopian fantasy. This isn't science fiction. It's real, federally mandated,
and all in the name of safety.

It's known as Enhanced 911, commonly referred to as E911, and it's an FCC
mandate that started in 1996. It's probably not as bad as it sounds (although
some conspiracy theorists would disagree with me). But by the same token, it
raises some important issues that must be addressed over the next few years. As
E911 will affect every wireless subscriber in the country, it is extremely
important that we all understand how it works, how it will be implemented, and
what the potential privacy concerns are.

How It Works

While law enforcement has been able to track cell phone users  locations to
some extent for a long time, the new E911 standard will greatly increase that
ability. The backbone of this new location tracking ability is known as
Automatic Location Identification (ALI). When E911 is fully implemented, all
wireless carriers will provide ALI to the appropriate Public Safety Answering
Point (PSAP). This can be done in one of two ways: Handset-Based ALI or
Network-Based ALI.

Network-Based ALI was the original method proposed by the FCC when they first
drafted the E911 requirements. At the time, it was the best location method
available that could be reasonably implemented. This method provides the caller
s location within 100 to 300 meters by using triangulation and the measurement
of the signal travel time from the handset to the receiver. If the handset is
within range of only one cell site, this method fails completely, giving only
which cell the user is in and the approximate distance from the cell site. If
there are only two cell sites available, rather than three, the system tends to
fail and give two different possible user locations.

Handset-based ALI requires that the cell phone handset include technology such
as GPS to provide location information to the PSAP. Although exact figures are
hard to come by at this point, some analysts predict that the inclusion of GPS
in cell phones will add an additional $50 to the total cost of the phone. The
benefit for wireless companies is that it doesn't require the substantial
changes to their network that using Network-based ALI would mandate. Using GPS
for ALI gives this method accuracy within 50 to 150 meters.

Although it is tempting to engage in a debate as to whether Network-based ALI
or Handset-based ALI is the best option for wireless carriers, it would seem
that the best solution is to use a mixture of both technologies. Handset-Based
ALI (using GPS) could be rendered useless in the steel and concrete buildings
of a large city, while Network-based ALI would fail in rural areas with limited
cell tower coverage. Therefore, it would appear that Handset-based ALI is the
choice for rural settings while Network-based ALI would be the best solution
for urban users. In addition, some companies may deploy hybrid systems that use
both GPS and network-based technologies.

Implementation

The FCC has set two implementation phases for E911 service roll-out. Phase I,
which began in April, 1998, required that wireless carriers provide the 911
caller s phone number and cell site to the local PSAP. Phase II went into
effect in October, requiring that all carriers begin selling E911 capable
phones starting October 1, 2001. Also, as of October 1, 2001, or within six
months of a request from a PSAP, wireless carriers must be able to locate 67
percent of handset-based callers within 50 meters and 95 percent of callers
within 150 meters. At the same time, they must be able to locate 67 percent of
network-based callers within 100 meters and 95 percent within 300 meters.

Sprint was the only company to actually meet any of the requirements with their
Sprint PCS SPH-N300 (made by Samsung). And with more deadlines coming up, it
appears unlikely that wireless carriers will actually meet them on time. Of all
new handsets being activated, 25 percent are supposed to be ALI capable by
December 31, 2001, 50 percent by June 30, 2002, and 100 percent by December 31,
2002. The FCC expects to have 95 percent of all cell users using ALI capable
handsets by the end of 2005.

Privacy Issues and Concerns

E911 services are coming whether we like them or not, so privacy and security
issues must be considered and made public. Originally, the FBI wanted to have
ALI services be "always on" for law enforcement purposes. The thought of
federal agencies having the ability to track anyone carrying a cell phone at
any time caused enough public opposition that the original proposals were
changed. Now ALI services can be shut off by the user at all times except
during a 911 call. This approach seems to be a decent compromise and reduces
some of the chances for government abuse. Even companies seem to have heard the
public cry for privacy, with Qualcomm announcing that their Handset-based ALI
technology will only broadcast a user's location when they press an "I am here"
button.

However, despite these assurances, some wireless carriers are planning to offer
"location based services" for their users (local movie times, McDonald's
locations, etc.). The threat of privacy abuse by corporations thus becomes a
major concern. Even if users have the ability to turn off their ALI services,
we all know that most will just leave them on all the time. This will allow
companies to track users and develop demographics and marketing information
based on where they go, how long they stay there, and other personal habits. It
is then only a matter of time before advertising companies use this information
to send location targeted ads straight to your phone. Most disturbingly, even
if the government isn't directly tracking your location, local and federal law
enforcement are only a warrant away from seizing any of your wireless carrier s
location information.

Conclusion

In the end, it would seem that the most distasteful parts of the E911 plans
have been dropped, leaving a program of enhanced emergency services that
currently don't seem that bad. In that respect, E911 has so far been a success
for all parties involved. However, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance
and while some privacy issues have been averted, other ones have taken their
place. Whether it be by government agencies or corporations, abuses of location
based information can erode our privacy just the same.

Now you know the basics of E911 how it works and what to look out for. It is up
to all of us to keep a watchful eye on how it is implemented over the next few
years.