Text by: Alexis GIZIKIS, Project Manager, European Emergency Number Association – EENA112
When an emergency alert is triggered, the WorkingAge app initiates an emergency call and in parallel, the E112 service sends a message with the user location and other data from the WorkingAge sensors. In this context, the emergency communication from the user to the emergency response call centre takes place in two communication channels, the voice channel for the emergency call and the data channel for the emergency message containing the data from the WorkingAge tool.
What if the existing internet-based communication protocols could be used to send the voice call and the associated data in one communication stream? This is described by the Next Generation 112 (NG112) architecture, which is defined in the ETSI Technical Specification 103 479.
The NG112 architecture enables a lot more data such as text, video, location or other additional data to be included in the emergency communication. The richer data set can potentially enable a more efficient emergency response and also help support the needs of people with disabilities in emergency communications.
One of the key benefits of the NG112 architecture is the centralised mapping and routing functions of emergency communications. The NG112 architecture introduces ESInet, a network serving emergency services and providing numerous new possibilities to improve work processes. Such possibilities include more efficient call-routing based not only on the location of the caller but also on other parameters, for example the language of the caller, the call load of emergency call centres and other parameters.
The network can also enable remote working for emergency call takers when needed and make public safety organisations less vulnerable to cyberattacks. NG112 offers numerous possibilities that can lead to the modernization of emergency communications.
The European Emergency Number Association (EENA) has been organising events to provide information about implementing the NG112 architecture. The webinar “NG112 Implementation Steps” in November 2020, covered the steps needed to prepare the implementation and explored in detail the key milestones to be accomplished by emergency services, telecommunication network operators, public authorities, and other stakeholders.
In April 2021, EENA is organising the dedicated virtual event on “NG112: from theory to reality”, which will be take place from 27 to 29 April, from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM CEST. The virtual event looks at fostering the deployment of Next Generation 112 and shows how the roll-out of NG112 technology has started to become a reality.
