IPhones to relay 911 call locations

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is trying to drag the U.S.’s antiquated system for handling

911 calls into the 21st century.

If it lives up to Apple’s promise, the iPhone’s next operating system will automatically deliver quicker and more reliable information pinpointing the location of 911 calls to about 6,300 emergency response centers in the U.S.

Apple is trying to solve a problem caused by the technological mismatch between a 50-year-old system built for landlines and today’s increasingly sophisticated smartphones. startup. The approach devel

An estimated 80 percent oped by Apple and RapidSOS of roughly 240 million emer- sends location data from an gency calls in the U.S. this iPhone to a “clearinghouse” year will come from mobile accessible to emergency callphones, most of which are ing centers. Only the 911 callcapable of precisely tracking ing centers will be able to see where their users are. the data during the call, and

Emergency calling cen- none of it can be used for ters, however, don’t get that non-emergency purposes, detailed location information according to Apple. from mobile 911 calls. Instead, The planned changes were they get the location of the announced Monday in Nashcellular tower transmitting ville, Tennessee during a 911 the call, and must rely on convention. They’ll be part other methods to figure out of iOS 12, the next version where the caller is. of Apple’s iPhone software,

Apple’s upcoming 911 feawhich the company will ture relies on technology release in September as a from RapidSOS, a New York free update.

LISA MARIE PANE / AP Individual call centers will each have to embrace the technology required to communicate with the RapidSOS clearinghouse. Some centers already have the compatible software, according to Apple, but others will have to install upgrades to their existing...