NG9-1-1 will leverage 9-1-1 specific application functionality on an Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) to add speed, redundancy and security to the telecommunications system, thereby supporting national internetworking of 9-1-1 services.

NG9-1-1 will enhance the safety of the Canadian public by allowing the use of new media and data for reporting emergencies and events; for example, streaming video from an emergency incident, sending photos of accident damage or of a fleeing suspect, or sending personal medical information–such information could greatly aid emergency responders and provide for greater situational awareness.

The success of NG9-1-1 will be heavily dependent on authoritative GIS data and services to enable more efficacy in geospatial call routing, thereby helping to reduce emergency response times and save more lives and property–a primary goal of emergency responders and public safety management and stakeholders.

The CRTC directed all telecommunications providers to update their networks for NG9-1-1 voice services as of March 2022, and will keep working with them as they continue to modernize their networks to include additional services such as text messaging. Furthermore, the current analog 9-1-1 network is to be decommissioned beginning March 2025.

The CRTC has mandated the modernization of 9-1-1 networks by March 2021. Emergency communications need to tap into current trends of location-enabled voice, text, photo, video or sensor-based messaging.

The coordinates of a mobile device will be used to route the call to the correct Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The coordinates of the call will be overlaid with the PSAP boundaries. To work properly, accurate and up-to-date GIS data is critical.

Timely aggregation of authoritative (local government) GIS data for NG9-1-1 is required to provide high accuracy address location verification, call routing, resource allocation and analysis capabilities.