By Sharla Sikes

Emergency calling has plagued VoIP services in the United States, and more recently the same issues have come to light in Europe.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Communications has ruled that VoIP services must allow emergency calls. Currently, 78 percent of VoIP users without 999/112 service were unaware they lacked access to emergency numbers.

“As new voice services develop and become more mainstream, regulation must evolve too,” said chief executive Ed Richards. “Consumers must be confident that, if they can make calls to ordinary national numbers using their VoIP service, they will be able to call 999 or 112 in an emergency.”

Supported by the Internet Telephony Services Providers’ Assoctiation, the ruling states that all Type 2 and Type 4 VoIP services must provide 999 and 112 services. Types 2 and 4 VoIP services are those that allow users to make calls to normal phone numbers.

ITSPA had some “reservations” about the timeline for implementing Ofcom’s proposal, according to ITSPA chair Eli Katz, but the organization supports the ruling and will ensure its members are compliant. Emergency calls must be supported by Sept. 8, 2008.

Providing emergency calling, however, may present VoIP companies with “additional complexity and cost,” according to VoIP-News. Providers who offer a 999 service will be classified as providers of “publicly available telephony services” and will then be required to meet higher obligations as a provider, including reliable and free emergency calling, support for authorities in case of a disaster, and facilities for disabled customers. The ITSPA has asked for PATS obligations and 999 access to be separated, and for a longer time period for providers to become compliant with the new rule.

With a new lobbying group entering the picture, the issue looks like it could continue to cause discussion. Voice on the Net Coalition Europe was recently launched in answer to OfCom’s ruling.  The coalition’s intent is to “work to educate, inform and promote responsible government policies that enable innovation and the many benefits that internet voice innovations can deliver.”

“Internet-enabled communications are an entirely new genre of communications products, services and applications and a new frontier in communications for individuals and businesses alike,” said Stephen Collins, director of global governmental and regulatory affairs at Skype. “In order to unleash their vast benefits, policymakers need to embrace forward-thinking policy approaches.”

Some VoIP providers including Skype disagree with the ruling from the perspective that VoIP services are not intended to replace traditional phone service, but to complement it. VON supports the view, stating that the ruling could “stifle innovations” among other effects detrimental to the VoIP industry.

“If we automatically subject this new technology to legacy telephone regulation, consumers and business users could miss out on the new services, increased choices, better prices and improved features that VoIP, for example, can deliver,” Collins said.

Related Content

Subscribe to the post comments feeds or Leave a trackback