The ESInet is to Next Generation 9-1-1 what a concrete slab is to a house. The foundation.

Where your current legacy system is built on a traditional circuit-switched network, Next Generation 9-1-1 is built on an ESInet, a managed IP-based Emergency Services Network. This private IP network is the most reliable way to support large volumes of 9-1-1 calls and the backbone for Next Generation Core Services and share information for all public safety entities. 

As the technology evolution continues to grow, this broadband-powered network enables PSAPs to grow with it. Additionally, with the ESInet and Next Generation Core Services in place, call dispatchers will receive real-time data communication from callers and relay those videos, texts or photos to first responders. 

This technology is life-changing for 9-1-1 call-takers and life-saving for callers.

ESInet in Actionthief-with-crowbar-breaking-into-door-and-synergem-explains-how-ESInet-works-and-will-protect-against-invasions

You are home alone and you hear someone break into your home. In a panic, you run into the nearest closet. You pull out your cell phone, that’s always on you, but hesitate to make any noise. Your first thought is to call 9-1-1, but you do not want the perpetrator to hear the call. You decide to then text 9-1-1 for help instead. 

The person enters the room where you are hiding and you quietly snap pictures of their face through the closet door. You even snag a quick video of them shoving items in their bag. You text the images and footage directly to 9-1-1.

First responders get this data while en route to the scene. Police arrive quicker and with more information on hand to make an arrest. If that perpetrator has left the home, first responders would spend less time questioning about their appearance and more time finding the intruder. No more police sketch artists drawing faces from what a caller pulls from their memory. Rather an emergency system that utilizes the technology of today (and tomorrow) to its greatest potential to keep our communities safe.

In summary, for all of the above to happen, the PSAP needs to be connected to an ESInet.

NENA’s ESInet Standards

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) sets the standards for Next Generation 9-1-1. Their mission is to foster technology advancements, the availability, and the implementation of a nationwide emergency response system. Unlike other IP networks, the ESInet needs to be built with stricter requirements, have higher reliability, and unwavering resilience.

Core ESInet Requirements

  • Private or virtual private network (VPN) based on transmission control protocol (TCP)
  • Scalable bandwidth for enhanced services
  • Provide conventional routed IP network
  • Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or other sub-IP mechanisms 
  • Utilize redundancy to obtain high availability and reliability
  • Resilient, secure, physically diverse, and logically separate from other IP networks
  • Can support real-time data, audio, and video
  • Supports secured TCP connections
  • Capable of operating on both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols

Conclusion

A nationwide upgrade to Next Generation 9-1-1 will change the course of history, and it all begins with the ESInet delivering i3-compliant emergency calls to PSAPs. A system built on the ESInet will drastically increase the amount of information a first responder receives, decrease the amount of time it takes to respond to an emergency, and increase the number of total lives saved per day.

To learn more about how the ESInet works and Next-Generation Core Services, contact our team today.