25.03.2024

ANCOM submits to public consultation a draft decision reviewing the decision on establishing communications to the National Unique System for Emergency Calls (SNUAU), which will facilitate the deployment of emergency communications through 4G and 5G technologies. By using the IP networks, given the new regulations, the mobile networks providers together with the SNUAU administrator will ensure a considerably improved localization of the caller, which can, in many cases, mean several meters. Furthermore, it opens the way to the use of new multimedia emergency communication services over IP networks: NG eCall, Real-Time Text and Total Conversation.

ANCOM’s role is to establish the technical and economic conditions for establishing communications to SNUAU and the technical conditions for transmitting the caller location and identification information so as to ensure their availability according to the specific requirements established at the European Union’s level, but also taking into account the particularities related to the functioning of the emergency service 112 at national level.

Proposed changes

In the context of the switch-off of the 3G networks and, subsequently, of the 2G networks, complementarily with the development of 4G and 5G networks that use a different technology for data transmission, the draft decision proposes the use of the IP-based IMS technology.

The IP technology will ensure the taking over of the emergency call and of the corresponding location information, including through 4G technology. Furthermore, it can ensure the access for the end-users with disabilities to emergency services under equivalent conditions to those enjoyed by the other end-users, by establishing an appropriate infrastructure to facilitate these multimedia emergency communications.

The interconnection based on circuit switching will be used for a while as a back-up solution, until calls entirely migrate to the new technologies.

The capabilities of smart terminals with advanced functionalities contribute radically to a better localization. In this respect, the draft decision provides also a new obligation for the mobile operators to submit twice a year to ANCOM a list of terminals connected to the network, one for September to March period, and the other for March to September period, specifying the name of the manufacturer, the name of the terminal, the terminal model and the version of the terminal’s operating system, as well as some of their capabilities. This information will be used to dynamically assess, through statistics, the percentage of terminals in the market capable of sending high-performance location information.

The draft decision completes the steps initiated by the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 48/2023 on measures in the field of the National Unique System for Emergency Calls, which requires the implementation of a mix of technical solutions, for the first time at the level of European emergency services, in order to improve the location information for the calls made to the emergency service 112.

Public consultation

Given that the proposed amendments have been tested and that most of the obligations incumbent on the operators have already been agreed between the parties, the draft decision amending and completing the Decision of the President of the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications no. 1023/2008 on establishing communications to the National Unique System for Emergency Calls is subject to urgent public consultation for a period of 10 days. The draft decision is available for consultation here. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions by 04.04.2024, to the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3), by means of the Online Registry, or by means of the Authority’s regional divisions. Comments may also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.ro.