Telco requirements & deadlines for emergency services

POPULATION WARNING: Article 110 of the EECC [By June 2022] and UN initiative [By the end of 2027] 

As of June 2022, article 110 of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) requires public authorities to deploy public warning systems based on telecommunications networks. The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) issued guidelines on the assessment of the efficiency of public warning systems conveyed through various mediums. These guidelines aim to assist governments in the implementation of Article 110 of the EECC. 

Geotargeted alerts to mobile devices 

In practice, this means that everyone in Europe should now be able to be warned on their mobile phone if they are located in an area where danger is developing (whether they are residents or visitors in that area). Two technologies ensure compliance with this legislation: cell broadcast and location-based SMS. The alerts must be geotargeted, meaning that they are sent only to individuals in the affected area, including visitors and tourists.

For more information: EENA Source 

Accessibility 

Article 110 of the EECC states that public warning messages must be clear and understandable, and must contain information on the nature of the emergency or disaster, the location of the affected area, and any necessary instructions or advice. Messages must also be available in accessible formats for people with disabilities. 

Early warning system (EWS) 

More recently, the Early Warnings For All Initiative (EW4All), formally launched by the UN Secretary-General in November 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, calls for the whole world to be covered by an early warning system by the end of 2027.

For more information: UN source

EMERGENCY CALLS: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/444 [By March 2024] 

In order to ensure effective access to emergency services through communications to the single European emergency number ‘112’ in the Member States, the Commission has adopted delegated acts on measures necessary to ensure the compatibility, interoperability, quality, reliability and continuity of emergency communications in the Union with regard to caller location information solutions, access for end-users with disabilities and routing to the most appropriate public safety answering point (PSAP). 

Caller location and routing 

Knowing the accurate location of the emergency caller is essential for successful intervention by emergency services. To comply with the EECC, member states must ensure that the national public safety answering points have access to the caller's location data. When using a smartphone to make an emergency call, the caller's location can be determined through the handset's position through Advanced Mobile Location (AML) and/or the position derived from the mobile networks. 

On December 16, 2022, the European Commission published a directive requiring competent regulatory authorities to establish, by 5 March 2024, the caller location accuracy and reliability criteria to be met through network-based and handset-derived technologies, to bridge the gap for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) corner cases.

For more information: EENA Press Release