VoIP must allow 999 calls, says Ofcom

gallery

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services must allow 999 calls, Ofcom has confirmed.

From 8 September 2008, any such VoIP service which allows users to make calls to normal national phone numbers must also allow users to connect to emergency numbers, Ofcom has said.

The communications watchdog previously called on VoIP firms - such as Skype - to allow users the ability to dial 999 and 112, to ensure users are not put in danger by relying on a phone service which does not allow such access.

In a statement, Ofcom said: "If consumers had to then locate an ordinary landline or mobile phone, they might face a delay of seconds or even minutes in getting through to the emergency services, which could prove critical."

Previous research by the regulator showed that 78 per cent of VoIP users with a service that does not allow emergency calls believed such calls were possible or simply did not know.

Ofcom's chief executive Ed Richards said: "As new voice services develop and become more mainstream, regulation must evolve too. In the future, consumers will be confident that if they can make calls to ordinary national numbers using their VoIP service then they will be able to call 999 or 112 in an emergency".

The rule change will affect VoIP providers which let users make calls to normal phones but not receive them, as well as "two-way" services. Companies which only offer calls online to other web-based systems, or those which only accept inbound calls but do not allow outbound calls, will not be affected.

Email to a friend

Print this page