A good part of the vehicles sold from 2018 have an emergency call system under the name eCall. In the event of a serious accident, it is capable of calling 112 and opening a voice channel with which to communicate with the emergency services. In the plan to end 2G and 3G, Europe has encountered a problem that has no easy solution.
What is eCall. eCall was born in 2012 at the hands of Bosch and in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. As of 2018the European Union established it as a mandatory system for approved cars since April 1 of the same year.
This passive safety method notifies 112 when it detects a serious accident. It does this through a SIM integrated in the car and dedicated only to emergency calls, so it is not necessary to have an additional payment plan to be able to use it. Through the car’s own ECU, which manages all of its sensors, the vehicle itself knows when it has had an impact. It is at that moment that eCall is activated.
The shutdown plan. Europe is in a moment of transition. Wants completely turn off 2g and 3g networks for reasons of importance.
- They are inefficient networks at an energy level
- Keeping them alive entails high costs
- They are more vulnerable networks at a security level
- These networks occupy valuable radio spectrum in the 900 and 2,100 MHz bands that could be reused to expand 4G and 5G.
In short, network spectrum is not unlimited, and it is necessary remove old frequencies so that the new ones can continue developing
The current situation. Spain published the public consultation on the shutdown of 2G and 3G technologies at the end of 2025. It made it clear that the shutdown will free up radio space and will improve the capabilities of 4G and 5G.
“The consultation specifically asks about the planned communication strategy: notice periods, channels, typical messages, campaigns, customer service. Also about specific measures for specific devices and services (eCall, alarms, elevators, geolocation devices…) and vulnerable groups such as older people, people who depend on telecare, people with disabilities or with a language barrier and in rural areas.”
Meanwhile, the big operators They have been dismantling it for three yearswith Movistar committed to eliminate it from 2026 within a period of two years.
what’s going to happen. If eCall cannot work with 2G and 3G, the solution is to update this technology, and that is where it comes into action NG-eCall. This system, instead of using a traditional voice call, uses 4G or 5G networks and works on IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), basically the layer that allows you to make calls and send data simultaneously and independently (the same system that already uses VoLTE when you call from your mobile in 4G)
The main problem is that this system is implemented in especially modern vehicles. In older vehicles, there are three possible scenarios:
- OTA update (over-the-air). Some manufacturers designed their hardware communications modules to be 4G compatible but with the eCall profile configured for 2G/3G.
- Offer paid module replacements for free (unlikely).
- Third-party modules (more complex, since this hardware works in conjunction with the car’s own sensors).
Go deeper. One of the golden questions is what will happen at a regulatory level with the eCall modules when they are no longer functional. This system was an approval requirement established by Regulation (EU) 2015/758. If it stops working, even for reasons beyond the control of the owner, it no longer meets the safety specifications with which it was sold.
In Xataka Mobile | The 2G connection is a danger that refuses to die: why you should turn it off on your mobile
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings