SAN FRANCISCO—The most important feature a wireless phone can offer is E-911 location accuracy, according to the majority of Americans interviewed for a study conducted by Harris Interactive last month.
59 percent of those surveyed said “the ability to have 911 dispatchers locate your phone in the case of an emergency” was the most important feature in a wireless phone. Meanwhile, 7 percent chose e-mail capability and 4 percent chose a built-in camera. When considering the second-most important wireless phone feature, 23 percent of respondents chose e-mail capability, 11 percent chose a built-in camera and 6 percent chose E-911.
“This survey shows that in the minds of Americans new features such as video games, MP3 players and e-mail take a back seat to safety and security,” explained Delly Tamer, chief executive officer and president of LetsTalk.com, the wireless retailer and enterprise solutions provider that commissioned the study. “While wireless carriers face significant expense and complex issues regarding the implementation of E-911 capabilities, this survey shows that it is a feature in great demand.”
Harris Interactive interviewed 1,006 Americans for this survey.
