In order to ensure that every citizen can use their mobile device and contact emergency centers, the Ministry of Communications will impose commercial import restrictions on devices that support 4G networks but do not support calls to emergency centers over this network (VoLTE).
These restrictions are in addition to the existing prohibition, since January 2022, on the commercial import of terminal equipment that supports only 2G and 3G technologies.
Furthermore, cellular companies will be required to publish a list of supported devices and will be prohibited from connecting new devices that do not support calls to emergency centers to the network. Alongside this, a temporary solution will be provided that will allow calls to emergency centers even via telephone devices that do not support calls to emergency centers using advanced technologies.
The Ministry of Communications announces another regulatory move, designed to ensure the ability of all citizens in Israel to contact emergency centers (100, 101, 102) using their mobile devices, even after the shutdown of the old networks, 2G and 3G. It should be noted that as part of the preparations for the shutdown of the networks, commercial import of equipment operating solely on 2G and 3G technologies has been prohibited since January 2022.
As part of the Ministry’s monitoring of the shutdown of the old networks, a significant gap has been identified in the technical support of certain mobile radio telephone (RT) terminal equipment for calls to emergency centers in Israel. These are devices that normally support 4G technology (for both browsing and calls), but it was found that they do not support making calls to emergency centers using 4G or 5G technology (VoLTE Emergency).
Currently, these devices make emergency calls using “fallback” to the 3G network. With the shutdown of the old networks, subscribers holding these devices will not be able to contact emergency centers (100, 101, 102), even in areas where there is full and proper 4G network coverage.
The Ministry views this as a real risk to public safety, particularly in times of distress, and is working to provide a technological solution that will allow holders of existing devices to make emergency calls in the future.
As published on the Ministry’s website last December, the Ministry has obligated infrastructure owners to operate a dedicated 2G network for emergency calls until the end of 2028. This network will serve all subscribers, even those who are not direct customers of the infrastructure owner, and will be backed by additional infrastructure for full survivability.
Concurrently, and in order to prevent further devices that do not support emergency calls on advanced generations from entering the market, two steps are being taken as part of the current hearing:
1. Commercial Import Restriction:
As part of the hearing, it is proposed to amend the Communications Law (Bezeq and Broadcasting), which will limit the commercial import of mobile devices that do not support making emergency calls using VoLTE technology. Compliance with this condition will be a prerequisite for obtaining an exemption from commercial import licensing. The order will come into effect within 30 days of its publication.
2. Prohibition on Connecting New Devices to Cellular Networks:
As part of the hearing, it is proposed to amend the regulation for licensed providers of mobile radio telephone (RT) services, so that they will be prohibited from connecting new devices that do not support making calls to emergency centers via VoLTE to their networks.
It should be emphasized that the directive will not apply to subscribers switching between companies, in order not to harm competition between companies.