Skype refuses to comply with 999 ruling

Tag : Emergency Call

Skype has said that it will not “comply with Ofcom’sruling” to allow users to call 999 emergency services fromits handsets.
The internet telephony company said it did not believe the new regulations applied to itand says they could be " harmful" to the public's safety.
The decision to make internet telephony providers give free accessto emergency numbers followed research carried out by Ofcom inDecember 2007.
Ofcom found that just over three-quarters of internet telephonyusers who cannot access emergency numbers, thought they could, orwere unsure. The regulator said this could be dangerous in anemergency as people could waste vital time trying to make calls viaonline services before realising they were unable to.
It therfore introduced the General Conditions of Entitlement for Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) which apply to all operators of internet telephony servicesoperating in the UK.
This means that companies such as BT , Vonage and Skype, which offer services that connect VoIP calls to thepublic telephone network, must enable people to make calls to theUK's 999 emergency number. It also requires providers to showcaller location information for calls to the emergency callnumbers.
Skype has said it will not be following these rules. Arepresentative for the company said: "At this time, Skype isnot complying with Ofcom’s ruling, as we believe that it isnot applicable to our software offering and in fact potentiallyharmful to public safety.”
However, it would not elaborate on why it believed that the rulingdoes not apply to it; nor why it would not be in the public'sinterest.
Ofcom was unable to comment on Skype’s statement but arepresentative said all providers were required to adhere to therules. She said those providers unwilling to do so, could be finedup to 10 per cent of their annual turnover. Though this would be a“last resort”.
The Department of Health and Unison, the trade union for emergencycall centre staff, said this was the first it had heard of therules. No-one was available comment.
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