Perth County has entered into an agreement with Bell to be part of Bell's next generation 9-1-1 service.
Steve Drake, Perth County's Manager of Technology Services, says the new 9-1-1 service was mandated in 2017 by the CRTC for service providers.
"So the new agreement, which was mandated by the CRTC, it ensures that Bell continues to provide the dedicated 9-1-1 network, and that 9-1-1 services and providers for the county are then able to transition to Bell's new next generation 9-1-1 network system when they're ready," Drake explained.
Drake explains that the "next generation" designation means a couple things.
"The current 9-1-1 system that we have today was designed primarily for older analog landline telephones and technology. The next generation 9-1-1 system will use newer internet protocol-based technologies, and that'll provide new opportunities to better serve our communities, especially who are now relying more and more on mobile devices to do their everyday communications," added Drake.
The new upgraded 9-1-1 service will provide, as Drake shares, a number of modern day advantages that make it next generation.
"Well in addition to calling 9-1-1 from your phone, the next generation 9-1-1 system will also enable the public to transmit additional information during 9-1-1 events, including things such as more precise location data, text, images and video, all of which should result in a safer, faster and more informed emergency response in those situations," Drake concluded.
Drake says this agreement to have Bell provide the next generation 9-1-1 service will not cost the county anything. The transition will happen countywide in the near future. The new agreement will be for an initial period of 10 years.
