EU plans cross-border 5G and satellite network for emergency services

The European Commission has proposed a new EU-wide critical communications network called the EU Critical Communication System (EUCCS), which aims to provide secure communication channels for police, firefighters, medics, and other first responders across national borders during emergencies. The EUCCS is designed to address the issue of incompatible national emergency communications networks that stop functioning when responders cross a border.

The proposed system will connect national critical communications networks across the EU and Schengen area, allowing emergency services to communicate and exchange data in real time during fires, floods, terrorist attacks, drone threats, and other crises. The EUCCS will rely on mission-critical broadband systems based on mobile technology such as 5G, which can carry large amounts of data, allowing responders to transmit live video, messages, maps, and geolocation data.

Satellite communications will also be included to provide additional coverage in areas without terrestrial mobile networks and serve as a backup if ground infrastructure is disrupted. The EUCCS is expected to be tested in a 2027 trial to evaluate its effectiveness during terrestrial system disruptions and in areas without mobile coverage.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.