Ofcom has closed its compliance programme launched in October 2025 to assess whether UK communications providers were meeting their obligations around access to emergency calls, including 999 and 112. The headline finding is that no issues were identified that warrant formal enforcement action at this time. However, the regulator has taken the opportunity to issue an open letter to the industry and propose several measures to strengthen compliance and resilience going forward, including monitoring emergency calls and escalating complaints related to them, using test calls to verify emergency calling connectivity, assessing and testing network changes with potential impact on emergency calls and improving the accuracy of location information.
The programme was triggered by a series of enforcement actions against providers each of whom received fines for various failings related to emergency call access. Ofcom's General Conditions, alongside sections of the Communications Act 2003, require every communications provider to ensure the fullest possible availability of public communications services at all times, including uninterrupted access to emergency organisations.
The issue is particularly interesting as the industry continues to migrate away from the PSTN landline services towards Digital Voice and other VoIP alternatives. There have been concerns that the PSTN switchoff could introduce additional vulnerabilities around connectivity, power resilience and location reporting. Ofcom's letter reminds providers that compliance in this area remains essential and that it will continue to monitor the sector, with firm enforcement action available where concerns arise.
CCUK members should review the open letter and contact team@commscouncil.uk with questions or concerns about the implications of the proposed measures.