The GSMA is working with the mobile ecosystem to ensure that handsets can make emergency calls in a consistent way anywhere in the world.
Regardless of which network your handset is connected to, you should be able to make an emergency call. This principle should apply both at home and abroad – whether you are on a holiday, a pilgrimage, a business trip or are one of millions of visitors attending a major event, such as the football World Cup in North America this summer.
But, as things stand, travellers making an emergency call can encounter technical issues, as operators make the ongoing transition from traditional circuit-switched voice calls to packet-switched connectivity, managed by IP multimedia subsystems (IMS). These issues may be due to regulatory constraints or because of a lack of alignment between mobile networks and handsets.
Although all mobile devices and networks are designed to comply with the 3GPP standards, they can be configured differently. As a result, making a packet-switched emergency call while roaming isn’t always straightforward. In many cases, a roamer’s handset engages in what amounts to a trial-and-error process, as it figures out whether it can complete the call via the IMS, has to fall back to a circuit-switched connection or even employ an entirely different network. This situation is far from ideal, given the potential safety implications of failing to quickly connect an emergency call.
When lives are at risk, it is essential that networks and devices fully comply with the standards. Operators should not ask manufacturers to customise the way in which devices make emergency calls. Equally, manufacturers need to ensure their devices are up to date with the relevant standards. There should be no need for workarounds or temporary fixes – prevention is always better than cure.
Of course, the vast majority of emergency calls go through. But when things do go wrong, the companies involved tend not to share information about why a call wasn’t completed. As a result, there is relatively little transparency: many of the stakeholders in the ecosystem don’t have a clear view of why an emergency call might not be completed.
The value of transparency is evident from an incident in Australia in 2025, which led to improvements in the 3GPP standards that have increased resilience. The Optus network suffered an outage after an enhancement to a network firewall was implemented incorrectly. As signalling packets were lost, connected devices couldn’t complete emergency calls over the Optus network. With no circuit-switched network to fall back on, devices kept trying and failing to use the Optus packet-switched network. The 3GPP standards have been amended to specify that, in these circumstances, the device should make an emergency call via a packet-switched network from another operator.
Fewer fallback options are available
The GSMA’s Networks Group is working with mobile operators and device makers, along with the Terminal Steering Group (TSG), to urgently address these issues. Time is of the essence. More and more mobile network operators are closing down 2G and 3G circuit switched networks, so that they can refarm the spectrum for 4G and 5G packet-switched systems. As a result, many roamers can no longer fall back on a circuit-switched network to make an emergency call when a Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) or Voice-over-New Radio (VoNR) connection isn’t available. But there is an upside: VoLTE and VoNR could potentially support a rich array of multimedia services, such as live location and video sharing, that could help facilitate emergency rescues. 3GPP has initiated discussions on enhancements to the basic voice service.
As of January 2026, almost 400 of the 730 mobile network operators worldwide had live commercial VoLTE services across 156 markets, according to the GSMA Network Closures report. The report also shows 280 of these operators have inbound VoLTE roaming agreements, which aren’t necessary for emergency calls, but are a precondition for closing down 2G and 3G networks. In other words, the rollout of VoLTE is far from complete, particularly for roamers.
At the GSMA, we are encouraging mobile operators to embrace VoLTE. The absence of VoLTE services can negatively impact mobile operators’ reputations and revenues, as customers instead turn to Internet-based services to make calls.
The circuit-switched era is gradually drawing to a close: 170 operators globally have no 2G service, with a further 87 planned closures in the next decade, and 190 operators globally have no 3G service, with a further 107 planned closures in the next decade. In the US, one of the host nations for the World Cup, the major operators no longer operate 2G and 3G networks, meaning any emergency calls made by football fans visiting the US need to be handled by their packet-switched networks.
Lengthy upgrade cycles create uncertainty
Reliable roaming depends on ongoing compliance with the evolving 3GPP standards. But changes to the standards don’t immediately take effect in the field. In some cases, devices were initially customised to meet the requirements of specific operators and need to be reconfigured to support packet-switched emergency calls. If the device isn’t too old, it can be reconfigured via an over-the-air software update, although end user consent may be required. If the device can’t be reconfigured, the end-user needs to be informed and encouraged to purchase a replacement.
The GSMA is trying to reduce the uncertainty. After investigating concerns regarding the availability and interoperability of VoLTE emergency calls in the US and Europe in 2022, the GSMA has clarified the requirement that a device should always do its best to initiate an emergency call, irrespective of whether a normal voice service is available and including all use cases. After this requirement was agreed by device makers, the GSMA sent Liaison Statements to other organisations (including 3GPP) to ensure industry alignment on this point.
In addition, the GSMA has promoted the use of so-called anonymous IMS emergency calls for inbound roamers. This mechanism is required when the visited-IMS (which is handling the emergency call) cannot authenticate the inbound roamer due to the constraints of the roaming model.
The GSMA’s Networks Group has also approved a Work Item to increase IMS emergency services robustness after circuit-switched networks are switched off, which will essentially update our permanent reference documents to align with changes in 3GPP. The GSMA is also working on a guidelines document covering best practices for packet-switched emergency call handling.
At the same time, we are calling for stringent interoperability testing of devices on actual live networks to ensure they can make emergency calls in all use cases, ahead of deployment. Today, testing is often carried out on network simulators, rather than in the field. In addition, live VoLTE networks should also be tested to check / confirm their compliance regarding PS emergency call handling as such compliance cannot be assumed.
Regulators also have a part to play. They can support standards, set realistic implementation timelines for new features and align the capabilities of public safety answering points (PSAPs) with the capabilities of mobile networks. For example, before attempting an emergency video call or message, I need to know that the PSAP can see the video or read the text.
Looking forward, voice calls will evolve further as more mobile operators roll out VoNR services. Again, it will be important to ensure that both networks and devices are fully-standards compliant and test actual implementations in the field. The same is true of the new direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity offered by satellite operators, which is also designed to support emergency communications in locations where terrestrial networks are not available. In remote areas, D2D could literally be a life-saving technology.
For both longstanding players in the mobile ecosystem and new entrants, the GSMA has a straightforward message: When it comes to handling emergency calls, strict adherence to the standards is an absolute must.
For more information, read our guidance on accessing emergency services while roaming.
Learn more about our Networks Group activities.
Recent updates to GSMA Permanent Reference Documents (PRDs)
A number of key PRDs have recently been updated by GSMA Working Groups and are now available to members.
The Fraud and Security Group has released a new version of FS.23 GSMA Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure Program (Version 4.1). This document outlines the GSMA’s framework for the coordinated disclosure of security vulnerabilities, enabling security researchers, manufacturers and service providers to work together to identify, report and address security issues. By promoting responsible disclosure and clear engagement processes, the programme helps reduce risk and protect end users before vulnerabilities are publicly disclosed.
The Terminal Steering Group (TSG) has released a new version of TS.34 IoT Device Connection Efficiency Guidelines (Version 14). This document defines requirements for the efficient use of mobile network connectivity by IoT devices, helping to optimise device performance and improve resilience. It provides guidance on managing connectivity and service recovery with minimal human intervention, while also highlighting 3GPP network efficiency features that can further enhance the performance of newer IoT devices and mobile networks.
Below is a list of recently updated Permanent Reference Documents (PRDs), organised by Working Group: