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Protecting citizens and freedoms stands as a cornerstone of the European Union's strategic agenda for 2019-2024, with a priority to increase the EU's resilience against both natural and man-made disasters. At the heart of this effort lies the need for secure satellite communications (SATCOM), essential for implementing a common security policy and safeguarding EU autonomy and independence.

Secure SATCOM serves as a vital communication tool for covering large geographical areas and operating in remote or isolated sites. It also functions as an instrumental backup communication means when terrestrial networks face compromise or unreliability. Recognizing this, the European Union Governmental Satellite Communications (EU GOVSATCOM) Programme aims to furnish secure, guaranteed and cost-effective SATCOM services to eligible EU governmental users.

In this context, the Horizon Europe project GEXTRECS emerges aimed at defining and demonstrating an End-to-End GOVSATCOM Service supporting Extreme Events Crisis Management. GEXTRECS Kick Off Meeting took place at EUSPA Headquarters on February 8, 2024, with attendance of representatives of all project partners.

Over the course of 24 months, GEXTRECS endeavours to develop a solution that meets user needs and requirements for secure SATCOM, while also exploring synergies with other EU Space Programme components, notably Galileo and Copernicus, in emergency management. Two demonstrations are planned: one addressing a cross-border emergency scenario and another focused on maritime emergencies.

The project leverages the expertise of skilled user professionals in both land and maritime scenarios, engaging worldwide stakeholders from private and governmental entities involved in massive emergencies to prepare the solution for operational use. Among others, the consortium aims to create training materials and solicit end-user feedback through dedicated Key Performance Indicators assessed during the demonstrations.

Demonstrations will be coordinated from the On-Site Operations Coordination Centre hosted by the Training Base Weeze (TBW) located in Germany. From there, demonstrations of land and maritime use cases will be managed, coordinating with technical teams deployed onboard a vessel in Spain and on land near TBW.

The innovative GEXTRECS solution integrates several key components: 

• A smart and continuous Dynamic Planner, which will enable dynamic SATCOM resources allocation in the most optimal manner, making use of advance heuristics;
• A Network Balancer, which will enable the required interoperability ensuring that secure communications are preserved when using different communications networks; 
• Copernicus based products and services (e.g. Emergency Management Service (CEMS),..)
• Galileo services and differentiators, tailored to the selected use cases

The GEXTRECS consortium brings together expertise from four EU countries: Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain. Partners possess extensive experience in addressing emergencies stemming from natural hazards such as fires, floods, and earthquakes, as well as challenges related to geographical situations.

Through collaborative efforts like GEXTRECS, the EU aims to enhance its resilience and responsiveness to crises, ensuring the safety and security of its citizens while reinforcing its position as a leader in satellite communication technology and emergency management.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Accurate and secure timing information is essential for critical infrastructure in strategic networks such as the energy distribution grids, the telecom, or financial ones. These sectors, and all timing users, will benefit from the Galileo Timing Service and from the implementation of Standards in timing receivers.

On February 2nd, the Workshop on standardisation of Galileo Timing Receivers, jointly organized by EUSPA and the European Commission, with the support of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), convened a large number of stakeholders from various sectors crucial to critical infrastructure, including receiver manufacturers, telecom operators, timing laboratories, research institutions and BIPM. At the centre of this workshop was the presentation of the 1st Galileo Timing Receiver Standard, developed within CEN/CENELEC under the initiative of the European Commission. The Standard will play a pivotal role towards ensuring higher levels of timing accuracy and reliability to end users.

Key outcomes included reaffirming the necessity of timing receiver standards, previously identified by projects developed under Horizon 2020 and Fundamental Elements programmes. The Workshop was also the occasion to review the comprehensive set of requirements and needs for timing and synchronization, overseen by EUSPA as part of the User Consultation Platform process – and published through the Report on Time & Synchronisation User Needs and Requirements. Notably none of the existing requirements were challenged and they remained as per the current version. 

The active participation during the Q&A session, allowing attendees to delve deeper into the standard, particularly beneficial for those unfamiliar with the CEN/CENELEC process, demonstrated the strong interest in the workshop.

In summary, the workshop provided the opportunity to present and discuss the Standard for Galileo Timing Receivers, confirms its relevance for the community and validates the existing set of timing and synchronisation user needs and requirements.

For additional insights, you can find the presentations delivered here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

With the European 112-emergency number, help is never more than a phone call away. The service, which is available free of charge from fixed and mobile phones everywhere in the EU, connects a caller to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). A PSAP is a call centre where calls for first responders, including police, ambulance and fire brigade, are received and handled.  

While 112 has been answering the call – and saving lives – for over 30 years, thanks in part to EU Space, it’s also continually evolving to offer even better services. 

The EU Space Programme was conceived to benefit and protect EU citizens, and Galileo’s successful integration into the 112-emergency number does exactly that. 

As Europe celebrates 112 Day, let’s look at how the EU Space Programme is helping to enhance these lifesaving digits. 

Galileo signals for more accurate positioning 

Before we started to use GNSS for locating callers making an emergency call from their smartphones, when an emergency call was placed via a mobile phone, the caller’s location was established based on the coverage area of a cellular network tower. Unfortunately, the accuracy of that location information could vary anywhere from two to 10 kilometres. That’s a pretty big gap in which an emergency responder would need to find you! 

But today, GNSS, including Galileo, which helps fill this accuracy gap.  

In fact, the EU now requires that all smartphones placed in the European single market be compatible and interoperable with at least Galileo. The result is E112, a location-enhanced version of the 112-emergency service.

When a mobile phone is GNSS-enabled, including Galileo one, it can provide location information with an accuracy of down to just a few metres. This level of accuracy can have a major impact in terms of response times – and in emergency situations, every second counts.

Advanced Mobile Location (AML) uses GNSS information from the caller’s smartphone to accurately locate them. When a caller dials 112 from their smartphone, AML uses the phone’s integrated functionalities, deriving data from Galileo (and Wi-Fi) to accurately pinpoint the caller’s location. This information is then transmitted to a dedicated endpoint, usually a PSAP, which makes the caller’s location available to emergency responders, ensuring that help gets to where it needs to be even faster.  

Putting the power of Galileo into smartphones and emergency control rooms across Europe translates into even more lives being saved. 

Currently, more than 3 billion Galileo-enabled smartphones are in use worldwide. You can see if yours is one of them by visiting www.useGalileo.eu.    

eCall to the rescue 

While 112 has proven to be a lifesaving service, it only works if you call it. However, in a motor vehicle accident, a victim might not be able to reach their mobile phone or be physically capable of calling 112. 

In situations like these, there’s eCall.

The eCall service is automatically activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash. Once activated, the system dials the 112-emergency number and establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call centre.

Leveraging EGNSS (Galileo and EGNOS), the system sends the accurate position of the crashed vehicle and the direction of travel to the emergency services, enabling responders to get to the accident site faster. 

An eCall can also be triggered manually by pushing a button in the car, for example by a witness to a serious accident.

According to the European Commission, in some cases eCall can cut emergency response times in half, reducing the number of fatalities by 4% and the number of severe injuries by 6 – 10%. More so, thanks to improved accident management, it has the potential to help reduce congestion costs caused by traffic accidents.

All new car models sold in the EU are required to come with the Galileo-enabled 112-based eCall system already installed. 

“eCall is a true success story for Europe, one that leverages EU Space and specifically Galileo’s precise positioning to save lives – which is certainly something worth celebrating,” concludes da Costa.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).