Telus launches first phase of NG9-1-1 service in Canada

Mar. 10, Canada – Telus  rolled out of the first phase of migration to the Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) services in British Columbia and Alberta, with Canada being the first country in the world to begin the rollout of NG9-1-1 on a national level.

From more precise location data to video and photo sharing, and enabling connected vehicles to contact public safety services independently, NG9-1-1 opens the technological possibilities for enhanced information sharing for first responders in the field. Together, with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Telus aims to continue delivering essential voice services to callers seeking emergency support while also increasing capacity and safety for residents.

Historically, 911 systems have been limited to voice calls with only a limited capacity for text messaging in very specific circumstances. For example, Deaf and Hard of Hearing callers, once they registered with their wireless provider, could utilize text messaging in an emergency through their cell phones. NG9-1-1 which will see the eventual arrival of video calling, widespread text availability and document sharing such as image uploads, which will improve communication and provide accessibility benefits to support users and first responders.

Additional traffic will be strategically and cautiously loaded onto Telus’ NG9-1-1 network. This migration will help enhance public safety by adding significant capacity for large-scale emergencies involving high call volumes.