It wasn’t so long ago that knowing where you were was a survival skill.
In
a hunter and gatherer society, if you went out looking for game, you
probably wanted to know how to get back to your village or cave.
Similarly, if you sailed away from shore to fish or explore, you
probably wanted to know how to get back.
In the age of Mapquest
and TomTom, this is no longer the case. Unless you’re in Canada, in
which case you probably want to know exactly where you are in case you
need to call 911.
Last week, the Canadian government said it
would be mandatory by February, 2010 for wireless carriers to implement
enhanced services that would let 911 operators find callers using cell
phones who don’t know where they are. This system has been mandatory in
the U.S. for three years. The CRTC plans to release more details,
including cost, next month.
The difference between the U.S. and
Canada is not one of technology. It’s not even a question of money.
It’s all because for too long, our government has been unwilling to
exercise, in this area, one of its basic functions, which is to govern.
Industry
Canada owns the wireless spectrum. You cannot operate a cell phone
service without getting a license from the federal government. What the
government giveth, the government can taketh away. If it wants to, that
is.
The wireless carriers are doing what any smart business
people would do. Faced with a choice between using the 911 fee
collected from subscribers to boost their cash flow or spend it on
technology that would not add to the bottom line, they have exercised
the most profitable choice. Why wouldn’t they? The federal government
has let them do it, unlike the U.S. government, which made it mandatory
for its carriers to make the location-based technology available.
Last
week’s decision was a step in the right direction, but a better
indicator will be the government’s actions a year from now. Hopefully,
they won’t entertain any excuses from carriers who fail to meet the
February, 2010 deadline.
In an ideal world, people would pay
attention to their surroundings. But in the real world, some people --
a small minority -- get kidnapped, thrown into trunks and driven out
into the middle of nowhere. It would be nice if they could get
something in return for the 911 fees they have been paying to their
carriers.