By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• National Emergency Number Association released updated guidance for 911 centers to better handle calls from international mobile phones ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• The guidance addresses challenges with foreign wireless calls not displaying callback numbers in the same way as domestic calls.
• Carriers including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are deploying changes to provide full international callback numbers to call centers.
• Telecommunicators are advised to use the ALI NAM field for callback numbers instead of relying on automatic number identification.
WASHINGTON, DC — Updated guidance has been issued for 911 dispatch centers nationwide to help emergency telecommunicators more effectively handle calls from international mobile phones as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches.
The guidance was released by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in conjunction with major wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, as a response to anticipated increases in international visitors during the tournament.
One key focus is ensuring that emergency call centers receive full international callback numbers for 911 calls placed from foreign devices, which previously might not display properly under standard automatic number identification. Under the updates, the full international number will appear in the customer name field of the automatic location identification database.
NENA officials cautioned that telecommunicators should not depend on automatic number identification for callbacks on international calls, and instead should check specific fields where the full contact number is provided.
The interim changes are expected to be broadly deployed by June, before the World Cup begins, and are intended to serve as a temporary solution until next-generation 911 systems are more widely implemented.