UK Publishes Proposals to Introduce Mobile Roaming for 999 Calls

The UK's telecoms regulator, Ofcom says that it is planning to introduce automatic national roaming between the five mobile network operators for calls to the emergency networks. The regulator said that at the moment, mobile calls to emergency numbers can only be connected if the caller's own network is available in the area. This is a particular issue in remote areas and means that in some parts of the UK - particularly in Scotland and Wales - emergency mobile calls cannot be connected from certain mobile networks.

Ofcom is now working with mobile network operators and the emergency services to develop a service where emergency calls automatically "roam" onto an available network if there is no coverage from a customer's own mobile service.

To secure a 999 mobile roaming service in the UK, Ofcom will consider the experience of other European countries, in particular with regard to hoax and nuisance calls made to emergency services due to inadvertent dialling of 999.

If technical trials by the mobile network operators are successful, Ofcom expects this service to be in place by the end of the year.

The proposals form part of Ofcom's consultation on Access and Inclusion published today. The consultation considers the issues preventing take up of communications services and whether there are significant gaps in their geographic availability.

Posted to the site on 18th March 2009