The decrypted facts
Gone for a hike in the south of Naples, Simon Gautier, a 27-year-old French student falls into a ravine on August 9, 2019. He warned the rescue services immediately, indicating that he had broken both legs and that he could see the sea from where he was, but they were unable to locate the hiker precisely.
Nine days after his disappearance, Simon Gautier is found dead at the bottom of the ravine. In 2019, the AML system, which would have facilitated the search for the Frenchman was not extended to the entire Italian territory and could not be activated, creating controversy around the lack of geolocation.
Technology continues to save lives
Since March 17 2022 all smartphones sold in the European Union must have AML. AML automatically provides the accurate location information of the caller, derived from the devices’ location capabilities, to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). How so? When an individual calls an emergency number, AML automatically activates the Wi-Fi and location services on the caller's phone, and sends the GPS coordinates in the form of an SMS. AML is a significant step forward in ensuring people's safety in the event of an emergency. It however has its limitations, facing bling spots, and can be complemented with advanced geolocation capabilities by leveraging advanced telco data.
Learn more about our emergency call location and routing solution.
Access the other articles of the lesson series here:
Lesson #1 - The Fukushima evacuation process
Lesson #2 - When emergency alert apps fail
Lesson #3 - Crisis Communication: The Lubrizol Plant Fire
Lesson #4 - Safe and sound thanks to AML