B.C. to migrate to next-generation 911 system, adding automated callbacks

E-Comm, which provides 911 service to 99 per cent of callers in B.C., says it will migrate to a next-generation 911, or NG911, digital network over the next two months. The transition from the decades-old analog system is federally mandated by the CRTC.

Some Vancouver communities have already moved to the new system, with staggered migrations continuing through the end of November. E-Comm says the public should see little difference: people will call 911 and be connected to the required service in the same way.

The B.C. government has invested $150 million in the new technology. E-Comm says the digital network lays groundwork for future features intended to better support public and first-responder safety, including real-time text to 911, more accurate caller information and streaming-video sharing. Those capabilities are not part of E-Comm’s initial 2026 transition, and their timing will largely depend on a national rollout to be determined by the CRTC.

The immediate public-facing change is an automated callback system. E-Comm says NG911 will detect all calls, including those that disconnect within milliseconds and are not currently received, which is expected to increase the number of accidental or pocket calls to 911.

If a call disconnects almost immediately before reaching a call taker, the system will automatically call the originating 10-digit number. Callers will hear a recorded message and can press 1 to reach 911 or press 3 to indicate the call was accidental. If no one answers, the system will place a second automated callback.