URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)

From NENA Knowledge Base

URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is an identifier consisting of a sequence of characters matching the syntax rule that is named <URI> in RFC 3986. It enables uniform identification of resources via a set of naming schemes. A URI can be further classified as a locator, a name, or both. The term "Uniform Resource Locator" (URL) refers to the subset of URIs that, in addition to identifying a resource, provides a means of locating the resource by describing its primary access mechanism (e.g., its network "location"). The term "Uniform Resource Name" (URN) has been used historically to refer to both URIs under the "urn" scheme [RFC2141], which are required to remain globally unique and persistent even when the resource ceases to exist or becomes unavailable, and to any other URI with the properties of a name. An example of a URI that is neither a URL nor a URN is sip:psap@example.com.

Related Terms:

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

A type of URI, specifically used for describing and navigating to a resource (e.g., https://www.nena.org).

URN (Uniform Resource Name)

A type of URI. Uniform Resource Names (URNs) are intended to serve as persistent, location-independent, resource identifiers and are designed to make it easy to map other namespaces (which share the properties of URNs) into URN-space. An example of a URN is urn:service:sos.

Relevant NENA Documents
Note: To find and download the document, copy the document number (like NENA-STA-010) from below and search the NENA Standards and Documents page.


  • NENA-STA-010, NENA i3 Standard for Next Generation 9-1-1
  • NENA-STA-006, NENA Standard for NG9-1-1 GIS Data Model

External References