In 2023, calls to the European Emergency Number 112 accounted for 62% of all emergency calls across the EU. At the same time, Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) infrastructures are evolving toward packet-switched technologies to support new services such as Real-Time Text (RTT) and Next Generation eCall (NGeCall).
As a result, emergency control rooms are increasingly becoming real-time information hubs, required to manage higher call volumes, multi-agency incidents, geolocation data, multimedia communications and growing expectations for immediate response. The networks enabling these services are also changing, with increasing reliance on data traffic, cloud infrastructures, IP networks, 5G connectivity and distributed digital services. The Digital Networks Act (DNA) is the European initiative designed to modernize the digital network framework and make it more resilient, interoperable and fit for critical services. For the Public Safety sector, a key question naturally arises: how will the way citizens, operators and emergency control rooms communicate during emergencies change?
What Is the Digital Networks Act and why does it matter for Public Safety?
The Digital Networks Act (DNA) is the European Commission’s proposal to update the regulatory framework governing electronic communications across the European Union. Its objective is to create a more modern, simplified and harmonized ecosystem capable of supporting advanced digital networks, high-capacity connectivity, 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and future 6G infrastructures. The proposal was adopted by the European Commission on 21 January 2026 and is intended to replace the current European Electronic Communications Code (EECC).
The DNA has emerged in a context where digital infrastructures have become strategically important not only from an economic perspective, but also for security, public service continuity and crisis response capabilities. The European Commission explicitly links the initiative to the need to strengthen network resilience, preparedness, security and European cooperation in the face of natural, geopolitical and cyber threats. For the Public Safety sector, this is particularly relevant because emergency communications increasingly rely on IP networks, geolocation data, multichannel digital services and interoperability between systems. If the rules and architecture governing European digital networks change, the operational conditions under which PSAPs receive, process and route emergency communications will also evolve.
EENA (European Emergency Number Association) views the Digital Networks Act as an opportunity to make emergency communications more resilient, efficient and future-proof, ensuring the protection of 112 services during technological transitions and enabling PSAPs to manage new forms of communication.
How the Digital Networks Act will transform Emergency Communications
The Digital Networks Act formalizes and accelerates an evolution that is already underway: the transition from traditional 112 services to Next Generation 112 (NG112), a model in which voice, text, video, data and geolocation can be managed through IP-based architectures and networks dedicated to emergency services.
The value of the NG112 model lies precisely in its ability to transform an emergency call into a richer information flow. Operators no longer have to rely solely on what callers can describe over the phone; they can also receive additional information that helps them better understand the situation, such as the caller’s location, what they are seeing, and data transmitted by apps, vehicles or connected devices. In practical terms, a control room could manage a video call, display the caller’s precise location, follow a real-time text conversation or receive automated information from a connected device. The advantage is greater situational awareness from the very first minutes of the response. At the same time, however, complexity increases for operators, who must rapidly interpret multiple sources of information and distinguish useful data from potential operational noise.
This evolution also has a direct impact on accessibility. Tools such as Real-Time Text (RTT) make it possible to contact emergency services even when speaking is not possible, safe or the most appropriate communication channel. This is particularly relevant for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, people with speech disabilities, and citizens facing critical situations such as noisy environments, panic, immediate danger or unstable network connections. The European Disability Forum highlights that the Digital Networks Act also affects access to 112 services and accessible electronic communications, while emphasizing the need to strengthen requirements to ensure truly equivalent access to emergency services for all citizens.
Another major change concerns interoperability. Today, emergency systems across Europe are not always homogeneous: standards, technologies, PSAP capabilities and organizational models can vary significantly from one country to another. This fragmentation has a substantial impact on Public Safety, since emergencies do not stop at national borders. Cross-border incidents, major public events, climate-related crises and large-scale disasters may require coordination between multiple networks, authorities and platforms. The European Commission presents the DNA as a response to the fragmentation of the electronic communications sector and to the difficulties operators face in working effectively across borders. The direction outlined is therefore that of a more harmonized ecosystem, in which emergency communications can be routed, managed and shared more consistently throughout Europe.
What changes for Emergency Control Rooms
For emergency control rooms, the most significant change will be the shift from a model centered on voice calls to one based on digital, simultaneous and multichannel information flows. The control room will no longer be merely the point where a request for assistance is received, but rather the environment where data, communications, decisions and operational resources are brought together. In this new scenario, PSAPs will need to manage, in an integrated way:
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advanced geolocation data;
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information generated by apps, vehicles and connected devices;
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cross-border communications.
This will fundamentally change the day-to-day management of emergencies. A request for assistance may still begin as a voice call, but it can be enriched with updated location data, multimedia content, automated information and contextual geographic intelligence. The benefit is greater situational awareness from the earliest stages of the response. The challenge, however, is that all this information must be rapidly filtered, validated and transformed into operational decisions.
According to EENA, the new Digital Networks Act framework should enhance the ability of PSAPs to process advanced forms of emergency communication while safeguarding access to 112 services during the phase-out or evolution of legacy networks. In its position paper, EENA highlights the risk that the transition from 2G and 3G networks to LTE, IMS and IP-based infrastructures could create public safety vulnerabilities if not managed through proper coordination between mobile network operators and PSAPs. The role of emergency call-takers and dispatchers will also evolve. As the number of communication channels and available data sources increases, so too will the need to:
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manage information overload;
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analyze multimedia content;
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coordinate parallel communications;
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collaborate with multiple agencies and organizations.
Furthermore, as infrastructures become increasingly IP-based, cybersecurity will become an integral part of day-to-day operations. Technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and video communications can help control rooms cope with growing demand and rising public expectations, but they will also require greater attention to privacy, staff training and risk management. The Digital Networks Act should therefore be viewed as part of a broader transformation of Europe's digital networks. For the Public Safety sector, this evolution directly affects the future of 112 services, PSAPs and emergency control rooms, all of which will be required to manage increasingly digital, multichannel and interoperable communications.
The transition from a model based primarily on voice calls to a richer emergency communications ecosystem has the potential to improve response quality, service accessibility and operators’ situational awareness. However, for these benefits to be realized, networks and platforms must be designed to guarantee continuity, security and resilience, even in the most critical situations.
