Keysight Technologies, Inc. announced the company is first to gain approval from the Global Certification Forum (GCF) for a conformance test case that enables chipset vendors to verify internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) based eCall functionality, advancing in-vehicle emergency call capabilities over 4G long term evolution (LTE) networks. 

Confirmed by the GCF conformance agreement group in October 2021, Keysight's achievement is formally referred to as LTE and Interworking with eCall in IMS (EIEI). It enables vendors of telematics units to verify IMS-based eCall functionality in compliance to specifications set by 3GPP, the global standards organization. The eCall connection uses voice over LTE (VoLTE) to establish a manual or automatic voice call between the emergency services and the driver or passenger in the vehicle involved in the incident.

"The automotive industry depends on a wide range of reliable communication technologies to develop future-proof cars, trucks, buses and other on-road vehicles," said Muthu Kumaran, general manager Keysight's Device Validation Solutions business. "Keysight plays a key role in helping automobile vendors meet evolving safety requirements by enabling telematics system makers to quickly and easily adopt the latest digital and connectivity platforms."

Automotive vendors need access to the latest communications solutions, based on LTE, 5G and cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X), to deliver continuous safety and convenience for drivers, passengers and pedestrians. IMS enables carriers to cost-effectively deliver rich multimedia services including voice over IP (VoIP), videoconferencing and video on demand to end-users. The LTE EIEI test case submission to GCF used Keysight's S8704A Protocol Conformance Toolset, based on the company's E7515B UXM 5G Wireless Test platform.