VERON: Vehicle Emergency Response Over Non-Terrestrial Network

The European Union is implementing measures to reduce automotive accidents. In response, the automatic alerting eCall system is a key initiative to respond more quickly and reduce fatalities. However, the system faces significant challenges in areas with limited terrestrial network coverage. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) present a promising solution by extending connectivity to remote and underserved regions. In this study, we adapted our NTN simulator, INTANS, to implement and evaluate the eCall system within a 6G NTN framework. Our research focuses on measuring and analyzing key performance indicators, such as end-to-end latency and packet loss rate, through detailed simulations. Initial results demonstrate that the latency observed in our simulations meets the requirements set forth in 3GPP Release 19, confirming the system's capability to deliver emergency communications. Furthermore, these findings underscore the necessity of a robust Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) and optimized satellite handovers to enhance the reliability of the eCall system. Future work will aim to refine these results by exploring advanced communication protocols like TCP, thereby optimizing re-transmission strategies and further improving system reliability.