Ofcom Makes 999 Access a Regulatory Requirement

Ofcom, who regulate telephony services in the UK, have issued a directive that all VoIP providers who route calls into the PSTN must now route 999 emergency services calls.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs ... statement/

In typical Ofcom fashion, the exact requirements have been left as a vague:-

Quote:

PATS providers must take all reasonably practicable steps, to the greatest extent possible: to maintain the availability of PATS at fixed locations in cases of catastrophic network breakdown or force majeure; to provide uninterrupted 999 / 112 access (GC 3 implementing USD Article 23); PATS providers must provide all end-users with 999 / 112 access at no charge and must make caller location information for all 999 / 112 calls available to the emergency organisations handling those calls, to the extent technically feasible (GC 4 implementing USD Article 26);

This means that VoIP User will have to comply with the "reasonably practicable steps" requirement. This is in discussion now and we're seeking clarification as to exactly the form that will take.

It raises a number of complex problems, but nothing that we can't deal with and we have some 9 months odd to implement it at least.

Up until now we were allowed to relay an audio message to the user stating that "this phone does not allow emergency services access" (and if you pick up your VoIP User phone now and dial 999 / 911 / 112 that's what you'll hear).

Reply from middletn on Dec 10, 2007 - 09:46 PM

Hmm, so what about customers with no caller ID as they don't have an inbound number?

Who's going to be responsible for handling address location databases? Enum?

regards

Voip User Forum Index » The World of VoIP » VoIP News