EENA (the European Emergency Number Association) has sent a letter to European Commissioner Glenn Micallef highlighting a potential safety issue affecting EU citizens travelling to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The letter raises concerns that some European mobile phones may be unable to connect to US emergency services due to network compatibility issues following the phase-out of 2G and 3G infrastructure. In practice, this means that a significant number of EU travellers – carrying phones purchased and configured for European networks – may find themselves unable to reach emergency services at all in a country where they do not know the local landscape, the language, or the alternatives.
EU citizens travelling to the World Cup deserve to know this before they board their flight, not after an emergency has already occurred.
In its letter, EENA called on the European Commission to contact US authorities to clarify what steps are being taken to resolve this issue, and, if necessary, inform European travellers that they may be unable to contact 9-1-1 during an emergency in the United States. EENA also informed the Commission that it stands ready to support any steps that the European Commission takes to resolve this matter.
