2N Releases White Paper on Emergency Lift Communications

2N, an IP intercom systems specialist headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic, has released a white paper: “Emergency Lift Communications: A Guide for Lift Manufacturers, Service & Maintenance Providers.” The document focuses on three main trends set to fuel industry growth and impact emergency communications for the lift industry in Europe: recovery of the construction sector from the pandemic, the phasing out of fixed telephone lines and accessibility standards upgrades. On construction sector recovery, 2N says, confidence is rising in “virtually all E.U. countries,” with particularly strong growth in the non-residential sector. Technology-wise, in most countries, 2G and 3G traditional circuit-switched telephone networks will transition to the 4G cellular network by the end of 2025, meaning that emergency lift communications could stop working. As for accessibility, this year the European Committee for Standardisation on Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walkways (CEN TC10) will amend standards to require two-way communication to take into account passengers with various types of disabilities. This could potentially require building owners to consider Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, technology for emergency communications in lifts.