Canadian cell phone carriers have made good on a regulatory command requiring them to implement enhanced 911 technology on wireless networks.

The new technology, which was ordered by the CRTC in early 2009, uses GPS and cell tower triangulation to pinpoint the location of a 911 caller and automatically transmit this information to emergency dispatchers. Although the pinpointing is not as precise as “in the movies,” it can generally determine a person’s location to within 10 to 300 meters, which should improve emergency response times in cases where callers cannot give their exact location.

“We are delighted that wireless service providers have risen to the challenge of upgrading their 911 services,” commented CRTC Chairman, Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C. “Canada is now one of the few countries where 911 operators automatically receive location information from the moment a call is placed from a cell phone. Thanks to the collective efforts of everyone involved, the safety of Canadians will be greatly improved during emergency situations that require quick action.”

Eros Spadotto, the executive VP of technology strategy at Telus, said that the 911 upgrade was a “complex and technically challenging project,” but confirmed that “most” of the handsets used by Telus Mobility customers, and all devices that the company currently sells, are capable of enhanced 911 calls.