Standards initiatives for Emergency Telecommunications Service (ETS)

This article presents the functional requirements, features, and objectives for the Emergency Telecommunications Service (ETS) in newly emerging telecommunication networks. The ETS is an extension of the International Emergency Preference Scheme (IEPS) of ITU-T Recommendation E.106 and includes additional provisions for multimedia services through a packet-based telecommunications environment. Efforts are underway in the national standards bodies and International organizations to identify, establish, and apply a comprehensive family of ETS standards for the next generation of telecommunication services, which are expected to be a blend of new packet technology with traditional circuit-based infrastructure.