Neko
Supreme Overlord
Dec 11, 2003, 1:46 AM
Post #1 of 1
(5518 views)
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TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2003 - Bell Mobility, Canada's leading wireless provider, today announces the latest offering in its suite of innovative Location Based Services (LBS). Bell Mobility's popular Roadside Assistance service has been enhanced to include location based technology, bringing increased safety to the fingertips of its customers, wherever they are located. Bell Mobility also announced today that it has expanded e9-1-1 service making it available to more customers across Canada, including the Ottawa/Gatineau region, the Island of Montreal, the Greater Toronto Area, and the Peel, Durham, Halton and York regions. e9-1-1 is also available in Calgary, Alberta, and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
"With the introduction of these services, Bell Mobility has just made the wireless phone one of the most important safety devices a person can own," said Michael Neuman, President, Bell Mobility. "Bell Mobility is proud to be the first North American wireless carrier to provide customers with the option to be found using their wireless phone in the event they need roadside assistance."
The Roadside Assistance service is the first commercial application of Assisted GPS roadside assistance technology offered by a wireless carrier in North America. This technology enables customer service representatives to locate customers automatically, with their consent, when they call for roadside assistance. The Roadside Assistance service is available anywhere in Canada and the United States any time of day, any day of the week, however location based technology is only available within the Bell Mobility wireless network.
e9-1-1 service is being implemented in two distinct phases. Phase I enables emergency operators to identify automatically the general area from where the wireless 9-1-1 call is made, as well as the 10-digit wireless phone number of the mobile phone that the 911 call originated from. This can reduce emergency response time and gives the emergency operator crucial callback information should the call be disconnected for any reason. e9-1-1 Phase II uses Assisted GPS, which allows emergency operators to locate customers using a GPS enabled wireless handset or device. "According to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), six million mobile phone calls are made by Canadians to 9-1-1 or emergency numbers each year. That accounts for approximately 50 per cent of all calls received by 9-1-1 operators," said Michael Neuman. "A fully deployed e9-1-1 service across our national network will significantly enhance the safety and security of our customers." Bell Mobility has also agreed to begin trialing e9-1-1 Phase II services with the City of Toronto Emergency Services (Police, EMS & Fire) in 2004. This will be the first trial of its kind in Canada. "The Toronto Police Service is anxious to work with the telecommunications industry to focus on the application of new and evolving technologies that contribute in a positive way to community safety and security. We clearly envision that the location technology being developed by Bell Mobility will assist emergency services in locating wireless 9-1-1 callers, thereby assisting with emergency service response," said Judy Broomfield, 9-1-1 Co-ordinator, Toronto Police Service. Bell Mobility plans to make e9-1-1 Phase I available across its national network throughout 2004. Bell Mobility is working closely with municipalities and emergency operators to support the availability of e9-1-1 for wireless customers. This support allows emergency service providers to train their 9-1-1 operators on e9-1-1 wireless technologies to ensure seamless integration with existing emergency services communications infrastructure and protocols.
Bell Mobility Roadside Assistance service
Assisted GPS technology enhances Bell Mobility's Roadside Assistance service by combining the accuracy of both cell sector location technology and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. This ensures the customer can be found with more reliability than traditional GPS services. Roadside Assistance subscribers dialing #RESCUE on their wireless phone will be prompted by an IVR for their consent to be located, at which time the Roadside Assistance operator will use either cell sector location technology or Assisted GPS to locate the customer. Roadside Assistance customer service representatives will receive a map image displaying the location of the customer in order to quickly dispatch assistance to their location. Effective as of November 13, 2003, the service will cost $4 per month, and includes five free service calls per year. The following handset models are already in market and capable of using Assisted GPS technology: Audiovox 8500 & 8600, Kyocera 3245 & 7135, LG TM250, Nokia 3586i, and Samsung A460, A500, A600 & N400. Going forward, all new handset models offered by Bell Mobility will be enabled with Assisted GPS. Customers using wireless handsets without Assisted GPS capabilities can still be located to their general area using the cellular transmission tower.
Sample Roadside Assistance service scenario - - Susan is traveling from Ottawa to Montreal along the Trans Canada Highway and suddenly notices that her car's engine is overheating. Knowing she is between Ottawa and Montreal on the Trans Canada Highway, but unsure of the last exit passed, Susan calls the Bell Mobility Roadside Assistance number (#RESCUE) and is provided the option to be immediately located.
- - Susan provides consent to be located and is transferred to a customer service representative (CSR). While the Location Based Service technology locates Susan using Assisted GPS or cell sector technology, the CSR verifies her information over her mobile phone.
- - Susan is located near Ste-Rose-de-Prescott by Exit 58, about 45 minutes outside of Ottawa, Ontario. The CSR receives a map displaying the location of the customer. The CSR contacts the nearest towing service partner and quickly dispatches assistance to the customer location.
Roadside Assistance service and e9-1-1 build off the platform and principles regarding the protection of subscriber privacy that support MyFinder, Bell Mobility's first LBS offering that allows customers to receive location-specific information on their digital wireless handset and PDAs (personal digital assistant). To ensure the optimum balance is obtained for managing customer privacy while maintaining simplicity, Bell Mobility protects caller information with the same level of privacy and security they receive from traditional 911 services.
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