Ofcom has opened a new monitoring programme to ensure that telecoms providers are complying with rules requiring that customers are able contact the emergency services at all times.
As you will be aware, Ofcom rules state that providers must offer a way for landline-dependent customers to contact the emergency services at all times, even as VoIP is rolled out. Providers need to take steps to identify these customers and offer them a suitable solution, and Ofcom have already provided guidance for providers on this point.
In this new monitoring programme, Ofcom will gather information from a range of alternative network providers and VoIP providers, in order to better see what the industry is doing to understand and comply with the obligations. Following this initial information-gathering stage, Ofcom will then consider the responses to determine whether any further action, including enforcement, is required.
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