How does an app developer test 911 functionality without actually placing a 911 call? I'm sure 911 operators would not be amused by such test calls; do companies have special testing cell networks that don't connect 911 calls through?
The linked Reddit thread has a whole subthread about that. A bunch of people who claim to be phone system installers say they regularly call 911 to test that it works. Apparently it's fine as long as you tell them that it's just a test and maybe ask to verify observed phone number and location. They probably don't like it if you just call and hang up and then don't answer any callbacks.
You can do a 911 test call. Make sure to tell them it's not an emergency instead of just hanging up. To play it safe, you can call your local non-emergency number and ask them how to do a test call. Sometimes they will schedule a test, sometimes they will just ask you to call outside of peak hours.
Companies have (and I don’t know the right terminology here, but you’ll get the idea) local test microcells that they use to test phones without actually connecting to the real network.
Where I live, if you want to test 911 there's a non-emergency number you can call to setup a test in advance. I think they do it all manually though, but I'm sure Microsoft could work something out for automatic testing, especially if they donated a few thousand dollars to buy whatever equipment the 911 operators needed.
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