Wireless Phase I coverage is available to cell phone users in areas where wireless carriers and local 911 centers have invested in technology enhancements to protect wireless callers in emergencies. Where Phase I coverage is available, the 911 dispatcher will see the wireless telephone’s call back number and the location of the cell tower that is closest to the caller.

While this enhanced technology makes it possible for dispatchers to return the call if the wireless signal is lost or interrupted, it provides almost no information about the caller’s location. A single cell tower, particularly in a rural area, may serve more than 100 square miles of a carrier’s service area, doing little to help locate a caller in an emergency.

Nine wireless carriers offer Phase I coverage in at least part of their Indiana service areas. Cingular Wireless and Verizon have deployed Phase I coverage throughout their service area.