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If you're an AT&T Wireless customer, you're about to receive a potentially life-saving feature on your phone.
The company announced several upgrades to its Next Generation 9-1-1 ESInet emergency communications platform this week, with the most important one coming to your phone. Later this year, AT&T customers will be able to send picture and video messages to 9-1-1.
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Many jurisdictions allow users to text 9-1-1, and some areas support the ability to text photos or videos, yet it can be complex. AT&T says the new feature will allow users to send picture and video messages "just as effortlessly as they text family and friends."
There is a small caveat: users will only be able to text 9-1-1 if the system utilizes AT&T's ESInet. According to an AT&T rep, contracted deployments for that system currently reach into 18 states, including Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Washington, D.C.
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Apple devices have a similar capability to share live video during an Emergency SOS call.
What is AT&T ESInet?
AT&T introduced its ESInet Next-Gen 9-1-1 emergency communications platform in 2018 as a replacement for traditional analog connections.
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