Old cell phones as emergency backups
Published 7/22/06
I had once heard that any cell phone, even if it’s no longer connected with any active account, can still call 911 (assuming it can get a signal).
I thought this might be an urban legend, of course, until I got to talk to the Verizon Wireless PR guy about it. Yep, he told me, it’s true. As long as the phone’s technology is still in use in the area, a 911 call will go through.
Of course, if you have an old-style analog model (known in the industry as and AMPS phone), good luck — wireless companies are phasing out their AMPS service.
But last year’s (or 2003’s) Verizon or Cingular or T-Mobile phone? If you still have a car charger for it, it might be worth tucking the thing in the glove compartment just in case.
Leland says:
Not only is that not urban legend, it is part of the FCC rule book. Allow me to quote:
The FCC�s Basic 911 rules:
* Require wireless carriers to transmit all 911 calls to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the carrier�s service or not.
Citation: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/wireless911srvc.html
Alas, analog isn’t the only thing going away. Cingular/AT&T wireless is killing off all their TDMA towers in favor of GSM. Those phones will not be reliable for emergency use either.
That decision put a bunch of our truck mounted cell phones out of commission with absolutely no notice. The new mega company was quite remorseless over the $475 a crack they cost us.
But the upside is we dumped them in favor of Verizon.