eCall: Automatic notification of a road traffic accident

The eCall is a telecommunication service aimed to provide the automatic notification of a road traffic accident, based on precise GPS-based positioning and provision of eCall prioritization within the mobile communication network. The eCall service has been introduced and fostered by the European Commission, with the aim to establish the fully operational service in 2015. Here the architecture and the technical solution of the in-band modem-based eCall is presented as the standardized eCall solution to be implemented throughout European Union, based on the existing European standards. The importance of the eCall service as the ICT solution for traffic and public safety enhancement is emphasized. The paper concludes with the pan-European eCall challenges and the plans for additional developments in foreseeable future.