Why is there a 911 tax?

I think everyone does.

But why? I remember once mentioning that I get that fee/charge/tax on my cell bill and someone said that's not legal.  Well obviously it must be. Because it's there. What else pays for 911?

They need the funds so they can tap your phone!

Well, then I'm glad I don't hold most of my conversations over the phone!!!

 Noooo, silly. It helps to pay for the services that we provide. Should you need to use your cell to call 911, it comes up on a map to show where you are at. Most cases it is just the closest tower. But if you have the location turned on then it will show almost your exact location. This only shows up for 911 calls and is not used to "track" you.

I have always said, and even make my kids, turn the 911 location on your cell. Should something happen that you call 911 and need to leave the line open, then it will show very close to your exact location. If you do not have it turned on, then your cell will hit off the closest cell tower and send the call to that agency and it is not always the right agency.

A good example of WHY to have the location turned on? Say your teenager, or even you, are out driving in the country and you get into an accident. If the 911 location is turned on, then we will know where you are at, even if you don't. With out the 911 location turned on, then it will hit off the closest tower. We still get 911 calls sometimes that need to be transfeered to an agency SOUTH of Indy. Those are the phones that do not have the location turned on.

Just my two cents.

as long as the post was Zimmy.....and as informative as it was.....you should get double your money....here's 4 cents for the Zimmymeister.

Aww thanks sweetie!

here ya go......4 cents

This component is designed to recover the costs in certain states where E911 cost recovery
for wireless carriers does not exist or exists in a fashion that only provides partial recovery
of E911-related costs. These E911 costs relate to government mandates requiring wireless
carriers to deploy advanced technology to help emergency response agencies to better determine
the location of the customer calling 9-1-1.

Ahhh. So like so many other things, we are paying because some one else can't. Someone wanna tell me why I have to pay a tax on something they can't collect for in another state?   That almost does sound like it's illegal doesn't it?

"Oh, well we can't collect this tax in Illinois (example), so we are going to get it from you, here in Indiana."  What the heck?