PEMEA is a European communication network, aimed at increasing and improving the communication capabilities between emergency centers (Private and Public Safety Answering Points) and European citizens using Internet Applications to communicate.
The architecture of the PEMEA network is defined by the standard ETSI TS 103.478.
The ETSI technical specification defines the PEMEA network as a communication framework to which, in general, the providers of Internet communication applications can request to communicate with the nearest European 112 emergency centers.
It also specifies how European emergency centers can manage the communication with these Internet applications, in an easy and flexible way, through the negotiation of the communication technologies that both the App and PSAP are able to use (which are widely used on the internet for example audio, video, chat.).
Firstly, it allows internet applications to be “local” and at the same time “global”. PEMEA establishes a communication model that works in the same way throughout Europe (as specified in the standard), so once connected to the PEMEA network, Internet applications can roam across Europe and connect to the proper PSAP, depending on where the caller is when they use the application.
Secondly, PEMEA offers 112 centers a standard model to incorporate widely used communication technologies, in a quick, secure and flexibly way. Typically leveraging the internet browsers capabilities to provide interfaces for call-takers and citizens.
Every day, new applications and communication technologies appear on the Internet, which are already adapted for Internet browsers, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. The PEMEA network offers all the necessary mechanisms so that 112 centers can, without the need to re-dimension their systems in a significant way, leverage these new technologies and keeping up to date with new Internet applications that are used by citizens in their daily lives.
Finally, the PEMEA network ensures the management of the different speeds of the technological evolution of PSAPs in Europe. PEMEA’s pre-negotiation procedure of the communication channels between Apps and PSAPs allows that the most evolved Internet applications can communicate with the less evolved 112 centers and vice versa, the most evolved 112 centers can interoperate with the simplest Internet application.