#EMERGENCY CALL 112 PORTABLE#

He called on the consultation participants to вЂњSay yes to GNSS and network based caller location information.вЂќД¬ristina Lumbreras from the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) outlined the NGOвЂ™s support for the initiative. With the E112 concept, he stated that this is вЂњAn area where we need to be progressive and there is no time to loose!вЂќ Often the use of cell IDs gave only a general direction for emergency services rather than a specific location and this was costing lives across Europe. Johannes Vallesverd, chairman of the Numbering and Networks Working Group of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations - Electronic Communications Committee (CEPT вЂ“ ECC), noted that the CEPT has been key to delivering harmonisation of the 112 emergency number across Europe since 1972. Presentations from a number of stakeholder groups demonstrated the urgent need for an improved location data provision for emergency services. She specifically noted that EGNOS is capable of delivering even more accurate positioning, especially in remote areas. вЂњIn addition, the use of multi-constellation GNSS is rapidly becoming the baseline for improved accuracy, availability and вЂtime to first fixвЂ™.вЂќДЄccording to Redelkiewicz, GNSS and A-GNSS (assisted GNSS) are both very good candidates to ensure precise location and improved accuracy, along with representing a cost effective solution. вЂњToday there are some 426 million smartphones in Europe and there is a growing trend towards integrating various location technologies such as mobile cell id, GNSS and Wi-Fi into these devices,вЂќ she said.

Justyna Redelkiewicz of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) provided an overview of the status of EGNOS and Galileo and their role in supporting the CommissionвЂ™s Action Plan. It was also noted that a similar requirement to ensure access to location information for emergency services was already used in the maritime environment and in ski areas prone to avalanches. вЂњHaving accurate caller location can significantly reduce search costs and minimise the impact of an accident or incident in terms of health and material loss.вЂќ вЂњThe Commission has a legal obligation to to look at potential activities that maximise the societal benefits of EuropeвЂ™s investment in satellite navigation technologies such as Galileo and EGNOS,вЂќ he explained. The consultation hearing held in Brussels on 7 May focused on the mandated use of Galileo for some specific regulated activities, such as providing location information during calls to emergency services via the 112 emergency number.ДЄt the consultation, Christoph Kautz from the European Commission introduced aspects of the new Action Plan to promote satellite navigation technology in the EU. eCall will automatically alert emergency services if systems on the car sense the vehicle has been involved in an accident. This enhanced E112 concept is a similar to the eCall system, which aims to provide an emergency location signal from new cars in Europe. In the US, an equivalent concept for all calls to the 911 emergency number is already in place.

#EMERGENCY CALL 112 PORTABLE#

To close this gap, the European Commission is now considering possible next steps to require mobile phones and other portable devices such as tablets to be equipped with Galileo and EGNOS chipsets, thus being able to automatically send more accurate location data as part of any emergency call to 112. However, in practice there is a gap between citizensвЂ™ expectations of location accuracy (5-10 m) and the current emergency location solutions available in EU Member States using mobile cell or sector ID (100m- 40 km). Currently, the Universal Service Directive describes the detailed requirements for Member States on 112, including the requirement that emergency services be able to establish the location of the person calling 112. Д®112 is a location-enhanced version of the 112 universal European emergency number, where the telecommunication operator transmits location information to the emergency centre in parallel to the call itself. But to what extent, if any, is regulation in this area useful or even necessary? This question was the subject of a public hearing run by the European Commission in Brussels on. This is an area where mobile phones enabled for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as Galileo, can help. But to intervene successfully, emergency services need to know exactly where the incident is.

The swiftness of emergency services is a critical factor to saving lives. NAGUs (Notice Advisory to Galileo Users).Search and Rescue (SAR) / Galileo Service.

Emergency call 112