When making a 911 call from a wireless phone, you should:

Basic and Enhanced Wireless 911 Rules

FCC wireless 911 rules aim to provide 911 call centers (known as Public Safety Answering Points or PSAPS) with meaningful, accurate location information so that local emergency responders can be dispatched quickly to help wireless 911 callers.

The FCC's basic 911 rules require wireless service providers to transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider's service or not.

Phase I Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require wireless service providers to provide the PSAP with the telephone number of the originator of a wireless 911 call and the location of the cell site or base station transmitting the call.

Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to transmit the location of a wireless 911 call, within certain parameters for accuracy. Under the FCC's rules, wireless providers are subject to increasingly stringent 911 location accuracy requirements almost every year through 2024.