“Police have urged everyone to download a smartphone app they say has already saved several lives. What is it and how does it work?” (BBC News August 2019)
What3words essentially points to a very specific location. Its developers divided the world into 57 trillion squares, each measuring 3m by 3m (10ft by 10ft) and each having a unique, randomly assigned three-word address. It cuts out all ambiguity about where a person’s exact location is and enables help to reach them.
A smartphone is needed to download the free app. Once downloaded, the app does not need a phone signal to tell someone their three-word location.
The emergency services have successfully assisted members of the public by being provided with the three words that enables them to be located.
