GSMA Calls on EU Member States to Provide Routing Information to Mobile Operators to Ensure eCall Services are Managed Effectively

Brussels: The GSMA today welcomed the European Commission’s recommendation on technology for the pan-European eCall regulation. The European Commission has selected ‘embedded mobile’ for its in-vehicle emergency call services mandate over other connectivity means such as smartphone integration or tethered solutions. The regulation requires all new models of cars in Member States to have eCall fitted from 2015, which will connect a vehicle to emergency services following a collision and provide vital location and impact information. This will speed the arrival of emergency teams by an estimated 40 per cent in urban areas and 50 per cent in rural areas and could help save up to 2,500 lives in the EU annually.

Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA, said: “The GSMA fully supports the European Commission’s recommendation to utilise embedded mobile technology for eCall services. Not only will eCall save lives, but the rapid growth of the connected car market will be driven in part by this positive regulatory action. A critical next step is for Member States to provide mobile operators with routing information within a reasonable time period. This will allow operators to put the necessary processes in place to ensure eCall messages connect with the correct emergency call centre and local services.”

The successful deployment of eCall requires Member States to put in place a framework for their Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), or emergency call centres, to effectively route eCall messages and maintain technical compatibility, interoperability and continuity. Not every emergency call centre across the EU will be optimised for eCall, therefore Member States need to tell mobile operators which PSAPs have been optimised, as it will not always be the closest call centre to an incident, so that eCall messages are routed correctly.

The GSMA is a long-term supporter of eCall and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission in 2009 signifying its commitment to collaborate with other stakeholders to realise the initiative. It is also a member of the European eCall Implementation Platform, which brings together Member States and primary stakeholders.

For more information about the GSMA’s mAutomotive programme, see http://www.gsma.com/connectedliving/mautomotive.

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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries and territories, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com.

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