uSwitch.com: Ofcom to force VoIP providers to allow 999 calls

Following today’s announcement by Ofcom to force VoIP providers to enable calls to be made to 999 numbers, Steve Weller, Head of Communication Services at independent price comparison service and switching service, uSwitch.com, comments on the importance and the impact it may have: “Ofcom has been consulting on the importance of VoIP services to allow 999 calls since 2004. However they should have tackled the issue head on last year when services were proliferating and the cost saving of using a VoIP service instead of a traditional landline was made very clear to consumers.

“Our latest findings revealed that 15% of consumers now have access to a VoIP service at home. VoIP is predominantly being used as an additional service to a landline and to date the ability to make 999 calls was not guaranteed. This has been a significant stumbling block and has stunted its initial development in the consumer space.”

Weller continues: “VoIP burst onto the scene in a big way a year ago offering significantly cheaper phone bills, especially for making international calls. By enabling 999 calls to be made, the number of consumers using VoIP as an independent form of communication will increase dramatically; it’s just a shame that we’ll have to wait until 2008 to get there.”