12.08.2016

Today, the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications of Romania (ANCOM) has launched for public consultation a draft decision aimed at improving the quality of the caller location information sent to the Single National Emergency Call System SNUAU). Upon the draft decision adoption, the SNUAU administrator will be able to identify the location of people who call 112 for help with greater accuracy, with a positive impact on timing interventions.

Identifying location of callers from mobile telephony networks

According to the draft decision, up to 1 June 2017, mobile telephony network providers must take all the necessary steps to enable transmission of caller location information containing the latitude and longitude data that characterize the geographic position of the caller’s terminal equipment, to the SNUAU administrator, within maximum 20 seconds from the moment of initiation of an emergency call, at least for 112 emergency calls initiated from smartphone mobile terminals.

Furthermore, with a view to improving SNUAU’s capacity to obtain caller location information for the emergency calls under response procedures, mobile telephony network providers will make available any other details they may hold or acquire by using network equipment and systems for determining the caller location as accurately as possible.

Technical conditions for caller location identification

Currently, emergency dispatch centres identify caller location based on the “cell-ID” method, widely used at a European level, yet insufficient for a proper identification of caller’s location. This method generates large radius search areas (for sparsely populated areas, where a cell covers large areas) or small radius, but insufficiently precise search areas, (for densely populated areas), the accuracy of the location information depending on the obstacles along the radio wave propagation path, and on other physical factors that influence the distance up to which radio link may be established between the antenna and a mobile terminal.

Given the recent technological advancements on the level of mobile telephony networks and terminals, ANCOM’s project complements the “cell-ID” method, where the technology allows this, with more precise location identification methods by which emergency dispatch centres may acquire as accurate as possible caller location information on those who call for help by means of the emergency number 112. Such advanced location identification methods include, for example, the Advanced Mobile Location (AML) functionality, already available on some terminals, which enables caller location identification with enhanced accuracy, based on the information generated by global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), by WiFi access points and/or by the “cell-ID” method.

Legislation

According to the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 34/2008, ANCOM analyses and establishes the technical conditions under which mobile telephony network providers send primary location identification information to the SNUAU, the “cell-ID” method being established, while SNUAU has the obligation to generate and send the caller location data to dispatch centres based on the details concerning the geographic location of the respective cells and cell sectors and taking into account any other relevant information. Further to the entry into force of Law no. 132/2015, Government Emergency Ordinance no. 34/2008 was completed, ANCOM acquiring the legal competence to establish additional methods for identifying 112 caller location, beside the above-mentioned one.

Public consultation process

The draft decision on amending and completing the Decision of the President of the National Authority for Communications no.1.023/2008 on performing communications to the Single National Emergency System, with the subsequent completions is available here. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and opinions not later than 12.09.2016, to the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, District 3, Bucharest), directly to the Registry office or through the Authority’s regional divisions. Comments can also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e- mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.