Technology has proven its ability to prioritize emergency service communications in highly congested environments, such as La Crida
The initiative, developed in partnership with ISTEC, Telefónica, and AVSRE, reinforces Valencia’s role as a test bed for validating innovation applied to security
The City of Valencia, through the Urban Innovation Sandbox, has successfully tested the 5G Emergency Pilot, an initiative that has made it possible to validate, under real-world conditions, the use of 5G technology to strengthen emergency services communications during large-scale public events. The test took place during La Crida, one of the most heavily attended events on Valencia’s festival calendar, where the performance of the network prioritization mechanism (Network Slicing) was evaluated in an environment of high communications congestion.
The results confirm that devices configured with priority access maintained better quality for voice, data, and video calls when the network was at its most congested, while other devices experienced difficulties establishing connections or suffered a degradation in service. The initiative has improved coordination among the various agencies involved in an emergency, thereby strengthening interoperability and the ability to respond to critical situations.
Paula Llobet, the councilwoman for Innovation, Tourism, and Investment Attraction, emphasized that “this pilot project demonstrates that 5G technology can become a strategic ally in improving the responsiveness of public services in
“situations involving large crowds, ensuring stable and priority communications when they are needed most.”
Improving Public Services
Llobet emphasized that the Urban Sandbox “is proving to be much more than just a space for testing technology. It is a tool for accelerating solutions that address the city’s real challenges. This pilot demonstrates how innovation can translate into direct improvements in safety and the responsiveness of public services. We don’t just view the city and its infrastructure as spaces for innovation; we also see our major events as unique settings where companies, government agencies, and technology centers can develop and validate solutions with real-world impact.”
The pilot project was launched by Infraestructures i Serveis de Telecomunicacions i Certificació (ISTEC), in collaboration with Telefónica and the Valencian Agency for Security and Emergency Response (AVSRE), organizations that have participated both in the development of the trial and in the analysis of the results obtained. With this project, the Valencia City Council reaffirms its commitment to responsible innovation aimed at solving the city’s real challenges, consolidating the Urban Sandbox as a tool to accelerate the validation of technological solutions that improve safety, public management, and citizens’ quality of life.