eCall status update

Creation date: 15 March 2007

The eSafety Forum Plenary meeting, 1 March 2007 in La Hulpe, Belgium, included an update into eCall developments by Mr Emilio Dávila González of the European Commission DG INFSO.

Mr Dávila reported on the standardisation progress. The solution favoured by ETSI MSG is the transmission of the eCall minimum set of data (MSD) from the In-Vehicle System to the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) through the mobile network operators using an In-Band Voice Modem. ETSI MSG, along with the 3GPP initiative, is working on the standardisation of this solution. However, another solution has been proposed as alternative, based on the proprietary system currently used by PSA in its assistance service: the transmission of the MSD via special SMS. ETSI will also look at this solution to better understand which option - in-band modem or SMS - best answers the eCall requirements as defined by the eCall Driving Group. ETSI has also required 3GPP to study a feasible way to incorporate an eCall discriminator to the call.

The final TS (Technical Specifications) are expected by the end of this year, and the next ETSI meeting will take place 26 March 2007. The standardisation of the data content of the MSD message is currently carried out by CEN TC 278 WG15. A basic agreement has been reached on a common MSD format. PSAPs need to define the necessary optional data in cooperation with the car industry, aiming to produce a draft standard ready for ballot by 15 May 2007 to correspond with the next meeting of CEN WG 15 that day. 

Activities in eCall certification include conformance tests, as well as the production of the conformance test specifications for transport and test suites, involving the ETSI MSG and 3GPP. A Special Task Force is planned to be established, with the ultimate aim of creating the final Technical Specifications by end 2009.

The Service Providers Group has defined the service providers’ role in eCall deployment, and will propose high level requirements for a common Standardised Interface to the PSAPs. They should be ready by May 2007. The Group has also put efforts into increasing user demand and awareness about eCall.

For its part, the Commission has set up an informal Group with PSAPs experts focused on eCall issues such as the definition of the MSD, access to VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) database, protocols to optimise the workload, exchange of best practices, as well as the definition of requirements to avoid false calls. All Member States are invited to designate representatives to this Group in order to add to the proceedings. The next meeting, which will discuss the optional data for the MSD, will take place 26 April.

For more information, please visit the eCall Toolbox or contact info@esafetysupport.org