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What about wireless phone interference with medical
equipment?
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with
some electronic devices. For this reason, FDA helped develop a
detailed test method to measure electromagnetic interference (EMI) of
implanted cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators from wireless
telephones. This test method is now part of a standard sponsored by
the Association for the Advancement of Medical instrumentation
(AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA, medical device
manufacturers, and many other groups, was completed in late 2000.
This standard will allow manufacturers to ensure that cardiac
pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from wireless phone EMI.
FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from handheld wireless
phones and helped develop a voluntary standard sponsored by the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). This standard
specifies test methods and performance requirements for hearing aids
and wireless phones so that that no interference occurs when a
person uses a "compatible" phone and a "compatible" hearing aid at
the same time. This standard was approved by the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible
interactions with other medical devices. Should harmful interference
be found to occur, FDA will conduct testing to assess the interference
and work to resolve the problem.
For more information, please visit the FDA website at
http://www.fda.gov/cellphones.
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Emergency calls
Never rely solely upon your wireless phone for essential
communications (e.g., medical emergencies), if it can be avoided,
since a wireless phone requires a complex combination of radio
signals, relay stations and landline networks for its operation.
Consequently, emergency calls may not always be possible under all
conditions on all wireless phone systems. Your wireless phone,
however, may sometimes be the only available means of
communication at the scene of an accident. When making an
emergency call, always give the recipient all necessary information as
accurately as possible. Never terminate an emergency call until you
have received clearance to do so.
FCC Enhanced 911 (E911) Rules
Background
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires wireless
carriers to transmit specific latitude and longitude location (Automatic
Location Identification = ALI) information as well as "911" calls to
Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to identify the location of the
caller in case of emergency.
Generally, the rules require that carriers identify an E911 caller's
location within 50 meters of the actual location for 67 percent of calls
and within 150 meters of the actual location for 95 percent of calls.
G'zOne Type-V's ALI Capability
The G'zOne Type-V is an ALI-capable phone equipped with a GPS
(Global Positioning System) receiver supporting a satellite-based GPS
ALI-capable network to comply with the FCC's ALI requirements.
The network compliance with the above FCC requirements is
dependent on: (a) the use of digital technology by the wireless
network; (b) GPS satellite signals being able to reach the handset
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