5/6/04-A new law in Utah charges land-line and cellular telephone users in the state fees to fund a mobile 911 location system.
The new law, which went into effect May 3, adds 13 cents a month to telephone bills.
In return, drivers throughout the state will get enhanced 911 service capable of geographically locating a cell phone caller with the aid of global positioning satellite services.
Rep. Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace, sponsor of HB36, said many cell phones have GPS capability, but Utah dispatch centers cannot get that information.
Enhanced 911 is a service that allows emergency dispatchers to pinpoint the location and phone number of a person without the caller having to say a word.
The tax revenue will help build wireless towers and other infrastructure needed to connect the service. It will also buy computers and software at dispatch centers. A portion of the funds will go to wireless companies, which are required by federal law to have GPS on all cell phones by 2005.
Taxes will be 13 cents a month until June 2006. After that, the tax is scheduled to drop to 8 cents a month.