In large-scale disaster situations, an emergency rescue communications priority transmission service that gives precedence to calls between firefighters and ordinary users will be fully implemented from June 10.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said it had confirmed the emergency rescue communications priority transmission service proposed by the National Fire Agency and telecom companies meets the requirements for special services under the net neutrality guidelines, and will launch the service.

The core of the service is to prioritise communications between firefighters at disaster sites and ordinary users in situations such as major fires or complex disasters, when communications demand surges.

The three mobile carriers applied dedicated USIMs, distinct from those for general subscribers, to firefighters' devices. They applied the dedicated USIMs to firefighting work devices such as corporate phones and in-vehicle navigation systems so that firefighters' signals are prioritised even when network traffic surges.

The service began when LG Uplus proposed it to the National Fire Agency as part of a corporate social contribution programme, based on demand in the field. SK Telecom and KT later joined, leading the three carriers to pursue it jointly.

The current net neutrality guidelines set equal treatment of internet traffic as the principle, but allow priority transmission when certain requirements are met, such as limited use and separate quality management, by classifying it as a special service. This case is the first since the guidelines were established in 2011 to be recognised as meeting the special-service requirements. The service will operate in a way that guarantees stable communications quality within the limited purpose of emergency rescue.

Concerns had been raised that at large-scale disaster sites, a surge in communications demand could cause temporary delays or congestion. With the introduction of the priority transmission service, communications stability between firefighters and ordinary users is expected to be strengthened even in severe congestion, enabling a faster response.

The service is different in nature from the disaster and safety communications network (PS-LTE) built and operated by the government. While the disaster and safety communications network supports communications among disaster and safety agency personnel such as those at the National Fire Agency, the priority transmission service supports calls between firefighters and ordinary users such as callers and doctors. Major countries overseas are using both approaches in parallel to improve the efficiency of emergency rescue response.

The ministry said it expects that once the three carriers complete construction of 5G standalone mode by the end of this year, they will be able to provide customised quality assurance by institution and by user more efficiently. As a result, public safety communications services, including emergency rescue communications, are expected to become more advanced.

Nam Seok (남석), director general for telecommunications policy at the ministry, said, "We expect this emergency rescue communications priority transmission service will contribute to protecting the lives and safety of the public in disaster situations."

A National Fire Agency official said, "The most important thing at a disaster site is swift situation sharing and command and control," adding, "As priority transmission becomes possible even on commercial mobile networks, the speed and accuracy of on-site response will improve further."