GPS cellphones blank out during 911 calls
Some emergency calls made from GPS-enabled Verizon Wireless cellphones in the US are being disrupted because of a glitch in the way the phones divide their processor time between GPS-location calculations and voice transmission.
Verizon Wireless, based in New York City, first announced on Wednesday that the emergency stations that receive 911 calls had noticed disruptions.
The company, the largest cell phone service provider in the US, says the glitch causes a series of two second “blank outs” at the beginning of a 911 call. Theoretically a caller could experience up to 16 of these, says Verizon Wireless spokesperson Jeff Nelson.
He emphasises that only a "handful” of calls are affected, usually when the GPS chip experiences problems locating a satellite. This is most likely to happen in built-up areas or indoors, say GPS experts.
But David Williams, CEO of the consultancy E911-Location Based Services in Wilton, Connecticut, says that even a small number of disruptions could be dangerous. “The vast majority of people calling 911 are in a panic. Any delay increases the panic and could cause them to hang up,” he told New Scientist. Verizon Wireless says it is not aware of any serious consequences of the glitch so far.
