ETSI has published TS 103 479, a new specification that establishes a technical foundation for multimedia emergency communications, enabling voice, video, photos, and text to reach public safety answering points via packet-switched ESInet infrastructure. The standard mandates support for Total Conversation and Real-time text to ensure accessibility for hearing-impaired citizens while defining a unified terminology for European harmonization. Key technical features include a mechanism for terminals to update location data during active calls to ensure accurate routing, support for roaming scenarios, and compatibility with 3GPP VoLTE for native mobile device integration. Additionally, the specification aligns with NENA to standardize namespace designations, creating a basis for global interoperability in next-generation emergency services.
Keywords: emergency_services, interoperability, accessibility, ESInet, standardization