Ofcom’s VoIP 999 ruling supported by ITSPA

Ofcom’s recent ruling that VoIP services will have to allow emergency calls, has secured support from the Internet Telephony Services Providers’ Association (ITSPA).

From 8th September 2008, all Type 2 and Type 4 VoIP services - those which allow users to make calls to normal national phone numbers - will have to provide 999/112 services.

According to ITSPA’s Chair, Eli Katz, ITSPA had some reservations about the timescale for implementation of Ofcom’s proposal. However, it supports Ofcom’s statement and will work to ensure that all its members are compliant with the ruling by next September.

ITSPA’s concerns centre around the additional complexity and cost to VoIP providers. Providing a 999 service will mean that a VoIP provider will be classified as a provider of ‘publicly available telephony services’ and, as such, will be subject to PATS obligations.

ITSPA has been calling for PATS obligations to be delinked from 999 access. The obligations require service providers to ensure that access to emergency calls is reliable and cost-free. They must also provide support for relevant authorities in the event of a disaster, and provide operator assistance and special facilities for end-users with disabilities.

Although IPSPA believes that it will be feasible to implement the changes in the timescale set by Ofcom, it would have preferred a 12 month timescale, to give adequate time for the implementation of the PATs regulations, and to establish an interface with a 999 operator.

ITSPA is the industry body for Internet Telephony Service Providers in the UK.