Wireless Networks

Emergency location service to launch in Bangkok

Emergency location service to launch in Bangkok

Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is to launch the country’s first-ever 191 Emergency Location Service (ELS), a strategic collaboration between the Patrol and Special Operations Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, leading mobile operator AIS, and global technology giant Google. As its name suggests, the service will automatically provide precise location data from callers.

191 ELS, as it will be known, will use Google’s Android ELS, which is based on advanced mobile location (AML) technology. This means that when an Android smartphone user on the AIS network dials the 191 emergency number, their device will automatically and securely transmit its exact coordinates to the police command centre. This approach helps to overcome issues like caller distress, unfamiliarity with surroundings, or inability to provide a clear address.

The caller will not need to have a data connection or install any special application. However, they will, for now, need an Android phone. Google’s ELS is a feature built into the Android operating system that brings together GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile network, and sensor data to calculate the location and send it directly to emergency services.

That said, there is reportedly a high penetration of Android smartphones for the service to leverage to create a smarter, more responsive emergency network. There is also no need for massive new hardware investments. AIS is the first network operator in the country to enable this capability.

As well as local users, the service will extends to international tourists visiting Thailand, which will be useful for boosting tourist confidence.

Regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has apparently played a key coordinating role, and says it would like to see coverage extended to all device platforms, working towards universal ELS access. In fact AML is built directly into both Android and iOS phones, so this must be a possibility. 

It is hoped that the service will be made available elsewhere in the country in the future.



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