Unable to call local emergency number, only 112

Bug Reports
#1

REPRODUCIBILITY: 100%
OS VERSION: 4.5.0.24
HARDWARE: Xperia X
UI LANGUAGE: German
REGRESSION: don’t know

DESCRIPTION:

I tried calling the police but my phone wouldn’t let me call the local emergency number 117 from the lock screen, only 112. When dialing “117”, it showed “Only emergency numbers” above the dialing field and nothing happened.

I only used the emergency call feature from the lock screen, I didn’t try the phone app.

PRECONDITIONS:

I’m in Switzerland where we have local emergency numbers for police, firefighters, and ambulance. The local numbers immediately connect you to your local department, while 112 connects you to a center where they take your case and then forward your call manually.

At the time I was using a Norwegian SIM but a) emergency calls must be possible without a SIM card, and b) emergency numbers should be provided by the network (apparently?).

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

  1. dial 117 in Switzerland → phone shows “Nur Notrufnummern” / “Only emergency numbers”, no call is made
  2. dial 112 → works

EXPECTED RESULT:

All emergency numbers should work.

ACTUAL RESULT:

The phone showed an error message and didn’t allow me to call 117.

MODIFICATIONS:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

My phone acting up added more stress to an already stressful situation. This is something that should “just work” but it’s also something that I can’t legally test any further, so I can’t help with debugging.

I don’t have screenshots and I don’t recall the exact error message.

I tried gathering logs but devel-su journalctl -a -b --no-tail --no-pager > journal.txt only gave me logs for the last ~5 minutes, and devel-su journalctl -a --no-tail --no-pager > journal.txt gave me logs for a day in 2023, then -- Reboot --, followed by said ~5 minutes.

3 Likes
#2

What is it supposed to do? Should it allow to call for instance 110 (Police) in Germany or only 112? I don’t dare to try …

#3

Yes. Restricting it to 112 makes no sense at best, and is dangerous at worst.

There’s a list of emergency numbers on Wikipedia but as @nephros wrote in another thread (here), the active list should be read from the network.

Don’t try it, it’s usually illegal to waste the time of emergency services without an emergency.

1 Like
#4

Dials emergency number …

“Emergency Services - How can I direct your call - police fire or ambulance?”

“Ambulance - I need urgent help … My Jolla C2 phone is bricked!!”

“Duh!”

#5

‘117’ may not be an emergency number. Please see section 5.2 in https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/wp-content/uploads/NG.119-V1.2-2.pdf

The same applies to the German service number “116117”. That also does not seem to be an emergency number in the definition of mobile networks.

2 Likes
#6

Jolla / SailfishOS shall support at least the numbers as detailed in section 5.2 of this GSMA specification, i.e.:

  • Standard emergency numbers dialled by the user (112 and 911)
  • Any emergency call number stored on a SIM/USIM (only possible if SIM/USIM present)
  • 000, 08, 110, 999, 118 and 119 when a SIM/USIM is not present (these numbers are stored in the UE).
  • Additional emergency numbers that may have been downloaded by the serving network when the SIM/USIM is present.

Up to this point I have not read any indication that this is not the case, correct?

2 Likes
#7

Not quite correct. How do we know what is downloaded from the network? (And what is on the SIM?) Whether 117 is an emergency number per the GSMA spec may be unclear but at this point we’re just speculating.

Also, following the standard is just the minimum. It doesn’t change the fact that emergency numbers should be callable using a phone.

#8

Yes, we do not know. Hence I wonder, why you deem my statement not to be correct?

Well yes, that i why I phrased “at least”. But as we well know how limited Jolla’s resources are, I really do believe one should not expect more than this minimal requirements, until that changes.

It doesn’t change the fact that emergency numbers should be callable using a phone.

… which is what the GSMA specifies, thus arguing in a circle. How should a phone know a number is an emergency number, if not by exactly this GSMA specification?

P.S. / Edit:
Hence you may research how to query SIM/USIM or UE to check for the emergency numbers being provided by the latter three routes:
• Any emergency call number stored on a SIM/USIM (only possible if SIM/USIM present)
• 000, 08, 110, 999, 118 and 119 when a SIM/USIM is not present (these numbers are stored in the UE).
• Additional emergency numbers that may have been downloaded by the serving network when the SIM/USIM is present.

2 Likes
#9

The SIM is managed by the MNO.
So, do you use a swiss operator?
Do you use the SIM in the swiss network for longer times, and de-/register your smartphone from time to time in the network (so the operator’s SIM management can be triggered)?

PS: In the case of emergency remember to call 112 in the EU, and probably in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland too.