Mobile phones and 911

A daft question perhaps, but if in the US with a UK mobile, how would you call 911? I mean, would it simply be inputting that number or would you have to put in country code and so on? As I say, pretty daft question, but the reason I ask is that a house we're renting later this year unusually has no phone.

Anyone know the answer? Someone must do!

Hi, Claire. It isn't a daft question, but it is a simple answer: there's no need for either a national or an area code and, by dialling 911 in the US (on any mobile, including one that is UK registered), you will be connected to the local emergency operator.

Best wishes

David

[Darren Wheeler]

Yep. Without going into the seriously techy and geeky bits....[|:)]

You dial 911.
The local mast you are connected on routes the call to its parent switch.
The switch recognises the 911 call and routes the call internally.

A few big buts though......

You must have coverage for the system you are using. I.e. GSM coverage for a GSM handset. CDMA networks (Verizon, US Cellular etc.) will not work with nearly all UK, GSM handsets.

You must be on a network that has a roaming agreement with your network

You must have had your roaming bar removed by your home network.

Hope that helps

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler

You must be on a network that has a roaming agreement with your network

You must have had your roaming bar removed by your home network.

Are you sure about that?

When I get a new phone I donate my old one to this rape provention center. Basically they give the phones to women who do not activate the phones but carry them for security.

Bit on the FCC site: Click Here Yo

[Darren Wheeler]

Oh yes, quite sure. Remember, 'Roaming' means something entirely different in the UK.

[mcmbenjamin]

OK. I bet otherwise.

[Decker]

I guess the confusion is that I can make emergency calls on other networks if I can't connect to T-Mobile. Today I could only get 02 in Cardiff and my handset said SOS only.

[Darren Wheeler]

Sorry decker. your phone might say that, but in the UK that's not possible. There is no 999/112 interconnect faciltiy. Equally, you must have a SIM card in the handset to make 999/112 even on your own network.

Don't blame me, I just work with the GSM standard [:#]

[Decker]

WOW! So my handset identified 02 but if I tried to make an emergency call it would have failed?Eww

[mcmbenjamin]

Railed. Thats me. err derailed.

So Decker is talking about silly places in London; OT (sub latin word). Jackie is talk about the big erect needle area.

SO back on topic. Por Favor. I have tried a my Virgin Mobile phone without the SIM card in Clifton, Virginia, USA and I could call 911. Tried the company Vodefone (UK) phone with and without the SIM and got 911; no worries.

So can you call 911 from ANY phone IF you have a mobile with a tower in sight in the USA? YES. E-Mail the FCC. Boooyakash................

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
Yep. Without going into the seriously techy and geeky bits....[|:)]

You dial 911.
The local mast you are connected on routes the call to its parent switch.
The switch recognises the 911 call and routes the call internally.

A few big buts though......

You must have coverage for the system you are using. I.e. GSM coverage for a GSM handset. CDMA networks (Verizon, US Cellular etc.) will not work with nearly all UK, GSM handsets.

You must be on a network that has a roaming agreement with your network

You must have had your roaming bar removed by your home network.

Hope that helps

Well thanks - both reassuring and confusing [:#] I've had no problems using my phone in the US for geneal use - texts usually, but I did once receive a call and that was also ok. Am assuming I don't have a roaming bar or I wouldn't have been able to do those things. Mine is a Virgin phone, on a pay as you go - does that sound ok to you? The only thing I haven't done yet is MAKE a call in the US

Originally posted by catsilversword
The only thing I haven't done yet is MAKE a call in the US

......and thats when it starts to get expensive .

David

Originally posted by David

Originally posted by catsilversword
The only thing I haven't done yet is MAKE a call in the US

......and thats when it starts to get expensive .

David

And that's probably just why I wondered what the process was!

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
Yep. Without going into the seriously techy and geeky bits....[|:)]

You dial 911.
The local mast you are connected on routes the call to its parent switch.
The switch recognises the 911 call and routes the call internally.

A few big buts though......

You must have coverage for the system you are using. I.e. GSM coverage for a GSM handset. CDMA networks (Verizon, US Cellular etc.) will not work with nearly all UK, GSM handsets.

You must be on a network that has a roaming agreement with your network

You must have had your roaming bar removed by your home network.

Hope that helps

I assume all those things are in place, as I'm always able to send and recive text messages and have received calls in the past....

For the USA I have bought a couple of Tracfones, about $19 each which you top up as you go. These now also do International calls at a set rate.
Whne you change states, you just get a new telephone number for the state you are in.
Any 911 problems I would use that.

Originally posted by David

Originally posted by catsilversword
The only thing I haven't done yet is MAKE a call in the US

......and thats when it starts to get expensive .

David

That depends on where you are making the call to. If you're calling back to the UK, then yes that is expensive, but if you're making calls to US numbers then I didn't notice much difference in cost to when making calls at home. At least that's how it seems to be with Virgin.

Originally posted by AlanA
For the USA I have bought a couple of Tracfones, about $19 each which you top up as you go. These now also do International calls at a set rate.
Whne you change states, you just get a new telephone number for the state you are in.
Any 911 problems I would use that.

I wouldn't have a problem doing that, but all the pay as you go phones I've looked at over there seem to require that you top them up at least every 90 days or it lapses. I don't go back there as often as that, so it never seems a viable option. My only concern is for making 911 calls - if I think I'm going to need to make general calls in the US, I still have tended to buy a phone card - but of course, that's of no use when you're in a house where there is no phone....

Claire,
you just re activate the Tracfone when you return to the States.
I have used the phone in Florida, Vermont and Wisconsin, each time getting a new telephone number.