Description
MCVideo Private Emergency Alert (MVPEA) is a service defined within the 3GPP framework for Mission Critical Services, specifically extending the capabilities of Mission Critical Video (MCVideo). It functions as a targeted alerting mechanism within private or dedicated networks, such as those used by public safety agencies, utilities, or industrial organizations. The service is designed to deliver urgent notifications, including video alerts, to specific individuals, groups, or all users within the MCVideo service domain. Architecturally, MVPEA leverages the existing MCVideo service architecture defined in 3GPP TS 24.281, which includes functional entities like the MCVideo Application Server, MCVideo Clients, and the underlying IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core. The alerting mechanism integrates with the group communication and broadcast capabilities of MCVideo.
Operationally, an authorized user or an automated system can originate an MVPEA. The alert request is processed by the MCVideo Application Server, which authenticates the originator and determines the target recipients based on pre-configured groups, roles, or individual identities. The server then initiates the alert delivery using the appropriate MCVideo session control and media distribution protocols. Alerts can be configured to be intrusive, overriding other ongoing communications on the user's device to ensure immediate attention. The service includes mechanisms for delivery confirmation and acknowledgment from recipients, providing the alert originator with feedback on the alert's reach.
MVPEA's role in the network is to provide a guaranteed, low-latency, and secure channel for emergency communication within a professional context. It operates independently of public Commercial Mobile Alert Systems (CMAS) or Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Systems (ETWS), allowing for organization-specific threat alerts, operational directives, or safety notifications. The service is a key component in enhancing situational awareness and coordinated response for mission-critical operations, ensuring that video-based critical information reaches the right personnel without delay.
Purpose & Motivation
MVPEA was created to address the need for targeted, reliable emergency communication within professional and private network ecosystems, particularly for Mission Critical services. Prior to its standardization, organizations relied on less integrated methods like radio broadcasts, SMS blasts, or proprietary applications, which lacked guaranteed delivery, rich media support, and integration with mission-critical voice and video communication suites. The limitations of these approaches included potential network congestion affecting delivery, lack of user acknowledgment, and an inability to leverage the group management and priority mechanisms inherent in 3GPP Mission Critical services.
The motivation for MVPEA stemmed from the broader 3GPP initiative to standardize Mission Critical services over LTE and 5G networks, ensuring interoperability, security, and feature parity with traditional professional mobile radio systems. As MCVideo evolved to provide real-time video for public safety and industry, the need for an associated alerting service became apparent. MVPEA solves the problem of disseminating urgent visual information—such as live threat footage, evacuation routes, or incident site video—directly to the devices of responders or operational staff, thereby accelerating decision-making and response times within a controlled, private service environment.
Classification
Detected Changes Across Releases
from 3GPP Change RequestsSpecific changes extracted from the „Change history“ tables of 3GPP specifications (117 CRs across 5 releases). Complements the general historical overview above with the evidence-based evolution of this function.
Studied in Rel-14, normative work from Rel-15.
In Release 15, the MVPEA (MCVideo Private Emergency Alert) function was newly introduced as a defined client state, specifically the "MCVideo private emergency alert state," representing the client's internal perspective of an emergency alert targeted to an individual user. This introduction was part of the broader specification providing support for MCVideo emergency alerts within the call control protocol for both on-network and off-network operations. The release thereby established the foundational signaling and state management for private emergency alerts within the Mission Critical Video service.
- MCVideo ambient viewing client procedures TS 24.281CR0033
- MCVideo ambient viewing participating MCVideo function procedures and controlling MCVideo function procedures TS 24.281CR0034
- MCVideo ambient viewing general description TS 24.281CR0035
- Usage of MBMS for MCVideo - signaling control TS 24.281CR0037
- Correction to session-type in XML schema for MCVideo Information TS 24.281CR0039
- Fix issues with encoding of IEs in MONP messages for MCVideo TS 24.281CR0046
+ 8 more changes
In Release 16, the MVPEA (MCVideo Private Emergency Alert) function was enhanced with specific corrections and new capabilities. These included fixes for alert elements and the location schema, alongside the completion of IANA registration for MCVideo parameters. Furthermore, support was extended to enable MVPEA functionality for users operating off-network.
In Release 17, the MCVideo Private Emergency Alert (MVPEA) function was enhanced with new handling for emergency alert area notifications, both on the network side and at the client side. These additions included mechanisms for notifying users upon entry into or exit from a group geographic area as part of emergency alert functionalities. Furthermore, the location information schema for MCVideo was improved with the addition of altitude, timestamp, and accuracy to the XML data.
- Functional Alias usage in MCVideo Call TS 24.281CR0093
- Add altitude, timestamp to MCVideo location XML schema TS 24.281CR0095
- Add preconfigured regroup to MCVideo TS 24.281CR0096
- Control per service authorizations limit for MCVideo service TS 24.281CR0100
- Call control - Restricting MCVideo private communications TS 24.281CR0105
- Emergency alert area notification functionalities handling for MCVideo TS 24.281CR0106
+ 33 more changes
In Release 18, the MVPEA (MCVideo Private Emergency Alert) function was enhanced to support alerting an MCVideo client that affiliates to a group after that group has already moved to an emergency alert state. This ensures late-joining users are properly notified of the ongoing private emergency alert, which is defined as the client's internal perspective of the state of an alert targeted to an MCVideo user.
- Use of 5G MBS transmission in MCVideo signalling plane TS 24.281CR0199
- Add the description of 5MBS in MCVideo TS 24.281CR0220
- MCVideo support of multiplexing - SDP offers and answers TS 24.281CR0215
- Support MCVideo over 5G ProSe TS 24.281CR0225
- General adhoc group call procedures in single system - Protoc impl for MCVideo TS 24.281CR0221
- Adhoc group call participants modify procedures in single system - protoc impl MCVideo TS 24.281CR0226
+ 35 more changes
In Release 19, the enhancements for the MVPEA (MCVideo Private Emergency Alert) function specifically refined the criteria for determining the list of participants during an ongoing ad hoc group emergency alert. This included modifications to the SIP messages containing participant lists sent to authorized users, ensuring more precise targeting and delivery. Additionally, corrections were made to the procedures and XML schemas for ad hoc group emergency alerts to resolve ambiguities and improve overall reliability.
- Modify list of participants by changing the criteria during an ongoing MCVideo ad hoc group call TS 24.281CR0278
- Adhoc group emergency alert add criteria to the SIP message containing the participant lists sent to the authorised users TS 24.281CR0279
- MCVideo adhoc group call to migrated user TS 24.281CR0280
- Modifying the criteria for determining the participants during an ongoing ad hoc group emergency alert TS 24.281CR0282
- FRMCS_Ph5 Adding reason to leave a session in MCVideo TS 24.281CR0290
- Enhance handling of criteria for ad hoc group communication (MCVideo) TS 24.281CR0267
+ 11 more changes
Explore further
Broader topics and technologies where MVPEA plays a role.
Defining Specifications
3GPP specifications that define or reference MVPEA, with the latest known release. Sourced from the 3GPP document catalog — see methodology.
| Specification | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
| TS 24.281 vj40 | MCVideo Signalling Control Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.579 vi40 | Mission Critical services conformance testing | Rel-18 |