EENA’s newsletter brings you the latest updates in emergency communications.
In this edition, you can read about EENA’s position paper on the EU’s Digital Networks Act, how PSAPs in the US use AI to filter non-emergency calls, how a community-driven warning system saved lives amidst the devastating Texas floods, and much more!
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EENA News
New EENA document: EENA publishes Position Paper on the Digital Networks Act
In its latest press release, EENA highlights how vital the upcoming Digital Networks Act (DNA), set to be published on 16 December 2025, could be for emergency services across Europe. Based on our PSAP survey results, EENA urges the Act to clearly reinforce existing EECC rules, ensure that emergency systems stay operational during crises, and make sure that new formats of emergency communications allow access to emergency services in a seamless way. EENA will be further engaging with EU policymakers leading up to the publication of the Act, and will share more insights at the Future EU Legislation on Emergency Communications event in Brussels on 3-4 December.
More funding for 112? NATO countries agree to spend 1.5% of GDP on improving preparedness and resilience
At the June 25 NATO summit in The Hague, allies agreed to allocate up to 1.5% of their GDP annually toward civil preparedness and resilience, on top of a new 5% overall defence‑spending target by 2035. This decision could have a positive impact on 112 emergency services: the funding could flow into critical infrastructure like PSAPs, bolstering their capacity and resilience over the next decade. That means better coverage, enhanced technologies, and stronger emergency communications across Europe.
Save the date: EENA Event: Future EU Legislation on Emergency Communications
Save the date for our upcoming event on EU legislation on emergency communications! The event will be held on 3-4 December in Brussels at the Microsoft Executive Briefing Centre. The event is limited to 120 participants. Stay tuned, as the registration for the event will open in the second semester of 2025!
Webinars
Did you miss our latest webinar? If you missed our latest webinar on integrating emergency communications into critical infrastructure frameworks, or want to revisit the topic, you can now watch the recording on our website!
The webinar explores how emergency communications systems are treated within national critical infrastructure frameworks across different countries, and can serve as a reference for national planning and benchmarking.
Are you interested in sharing your expertise in an EENA webinar? You can contact Sanna Antila at [email protected] to suggest topics you’d like to speak on in our upcoming webinars.
Emergency communications around the world
911 looks to AI to filter out non-emergency calls
In a bid to free human dispatchers for true emergencies, 911 centres in the US states of Utah and Alabama are testing AI chatbots that intercept and filter out non‑emergency and prank calls. Early results so far have indicated a drop in the volume of non-emergency calls, suggesting the technologies could be a big help for call-takers and dispatchers.
Small Texas town saved their residents from the flooding by sticking to age old, time tested sirens
Amid the devastation of the deadly Texas floods, a small town emerges as a beacon of preparedness. The residents of the town of Comfort evacuated in time thanks to a community-driven flood warning system that blared sirens across town. The sirens —one new, one refurbished— were installed last year after decades of grassroots advocacy. In combination with the town’s swift response from firefighters and police, they contributed significantly to the protection of the population.
Pakistan launches location-based SMS alerts to warn millions amid deadly monsoon floods
Pakistan is rolling out a geo‑fenced SMS alert system in collaboration with digital telecom operator Jazz and the National Disaster Management Authority, delivering real-time warnings to over 23 million mobile users in flood‑prone zones. This initiative, part of the Disaster Early Warning System, triggers timely evacuations and precautionary actions as Pakistan faces deadly monsoon rains. The scalable system complements NDMA’s existing mobile app, social media, and media outreach, marking a major step in modernizing the country’s disaster response amid intensifying climate-related threats.
NSW and Victoria trial cross-border emergency communications
Emergency responders in New South Wales and Victoria are set to benefit from a groundbreaking radio communications trial, allowing seamless crossover between state networks during crises. Announced at the National Emergency Ministers Meeting in Darwin, Australia, this initiative lets radios automatically swap to the local network without the need for extra devices or manual tweaks. Building on the success of the NSW–Queensland roaming service used during Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the new trial, led by NSW Telco Authority and Emergency Management Victoria, aims to enhance coordination during bushfires, floods and storms across borders
Read more here (NSW Government).
Belgium proposes automatic redirect for emergency calls to improve availability
Belgium is set to boost emergency call reliability by introducing a proposal that would make it a legal requirement to provide a backup network connection, so that there are always to network options to connect callers to the 112 emergency number. The proposal aims to ensure smoother, uninterrupted access to lifesaving services even during outages.
Read the full article here (Telecompaper).
Telefonica Germany introduces Real-Time Text for mobile customers
Telefonica Germany is introducing Real-Time Text (RTT) services to mobile customers, enabling users to send texts in real time during a phone call. As part of EU accessibility requirements coming in effect from 28 June, the RTT service is integrated directly into the mobile phone. Starting May 2026, RTT will be mandatory for emergency calls.
Read the full article here (Telecompaper).
Upcoming in our network
The latest Next Generation eCall plugtests report is published
ETSI has published the latest report on the NG eCall plugtests conducted from 10 to 13 June 2025 in Bonn, Germany. The plugtests focused on the interoperability of NG eCall over Long Term Evolution (LTE), bringing together Public Safety Answering Points and vendors of in-vehicle systems.
Express your interest in joining the SUNSHINE training seminars: EU space solutions for disaster resilience
The SUNSHINE project, which is developed under the guidance of the European Commission’s DG DEFIS and in partnership with DG ECHO, is launching a series of training seminars designed to help professionals in this field use EU Space data and services to strengthen disaster resilience across Europe. Four multi-day in-person seminars will be held in 2025 and 2026, and the first one will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, from 24 to 27 November 2025.
If you work in civil protection, emergency management, or disaster risk reduction, this is your opportunity to express interest in joining the SUNSHINE training series. Take part to boost your skills, gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge EU Space tools, and help your organisation lead the way in using advanced technologies for disaster resilience.