Cyprus has signed an agreement to develop a Next Generation 112 (NG112) system, marking the start of one of the most significant modernisation projects for the Republic's emergency services. The agreement was signed between the Civil Defence Force and CYTA, with the project set to be completed within 20 months, the Ministry of Interior announced.
The project represents a strategically important investment for the country and forms part of Cyprus's alignment with the European regulatory and technological framework governing emergency communications.
The NG112 system will handle voice calls, real time text messages, images, video, location data and automatic eCall alerts from vehicles, giving first response services more complete and faster information during critical incidents, where every second can prove decisive.
The system will operate as the national Emergency Call Answering Centre, serving all of the Republic's response services, including the Fire Service, Cyprus Police, the Ambulance Service, the Forestry Department, the National Guard, the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre and Civil Defence.
The project will allow for the unified management of all emergency communications at national level, substantially upgrading the operational capabilities of the services involved and improving both the speed and quality of their response. It will also ensure equal access to emergency services for people with disabilities, in line with European standards.
In a video statement, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou welcomed the signing of the agreement, saying that following the rollout of the CY-Alert system, the upgrade of the 112 emergency number marks another substantial step toward more modern, effective and reliable management of emergency incidents.
Ioannou added that once NG112 is complete, Cyprus will have a modern, unified and resilient emergency call management system, fully aligned with European standards, that will significantly strengthen civil protection, public safety and the protection of human life, in response to the needs of contemporary society and the expectations of citizens.
