Practical problems related to the handling of emergency calls

1
SWEDEN

• Practical problems related to the handling of
  emergency calls
• National Post and Telecom Agency (PTS)
• SOS Alarm
• Cooperation
• Case study

2
The mission for the National Post and Telecom
Agency (PTS)

• Everyone in Sweden shall have access to
  efficient, affordableand secure communications
  services.
• PTS has four overall objectives
• Consumer interests in focus
• Efficient competition
• Efficient utilisation of resources
• Secure communications

3
Cooperation is the key

• Cooperation in Sweden between the NRA, SOS Alarm
  and the operators is distinguished by
• Openness
• Work towards the same goal
• International cooperation and coverage
• Regulation and oversight in consultation with
  SOS Alarm

4
Long experience of one interface

• In Sweden we have long experience of one single
  emergency number and of integrated public service
  answering points (PSAPs)
• The SOS centre also cooperates with sea rescue,
  air-sea rescue and mountain rescue agencies
  according to special routines

5
One call and you reach all

• Only one call to call out of the ambulance, the
  police and/or the fire-brigade - In the event of
  major occurrences such as accidents, all forces
  are alerted simultaneously
• Unbroken chain of actions
• Rapid call outs save lives
• The SOS model saves costs

6
SOS Alarm AB -public ownership

• Since 1974 the emergency service is maintained
  by SOS alarm.
• SOS Alarms mission is to work towards a safer
  society.
• SOS Alarm is responsible for the single
  emergency number and
• for coordinated emergency services in Sweden.
• The company is owned by the state, the county
• councils and municipalities.

7
Items

• Many problems concerning emergency
  services in the rapid technological development
  can be addressed but at this conference Sweden
  has decided to highlight two specific issues
• SIM-cards and emergency numbers
• Establishment of a 112-network in Europe

8
The problem with unneccessary emergency numbers
on SIM-cards

• The problem
• Unnecessary emergency numbers on SIM-cards
  generate silent calls to emergency services
• E.g. 000, 08, 110, 911, 999, 90000
• Estimated to 25 of all emergency calls in Sweden
• Likely to be the same in all European countries
• Possible solution
• 3GPP-specifications state
• When a SIM/USIM containing stored emergency
  numbers is present, only those numbers are
  identified as emergency numbers, i.e. Default
  emergency numbers stored in the ME are ignored

9
The proposed solution

• Implementation of solution
• European operators order SIM-cards with only 112
  and possible national remaining code
• Hard to impact a subsidiary of an international
  operator in Sweden
• Regulators impact through ETSI, 3GPP etc.
• Start of delivery of terminals in release 5 or 6
• Effect
• Silent calls amount to about 25 of all calls to
  the Swedish 112
• In Sweden about 800 000 calls
• Large savings for 112-operators all over Europe

10
European 112-network

• Operative Forum for Emergency Operators is
  lacking
• Proposal
• Set up a project with the aim to establish a
  contact list between national emergency
  services
• Starting from that point let the project
  investigate technical and other challenges
• This is an operative co-operation
• Example of relevant problems identified in Sweden
• Nomadic VoIP feels no borders
• 112-calls might come to the wrong country