Internet phones must have 999 access: Watchdog

London, July 27: Anyone using the Internet to make cheap telephone calls should be able to dial the 999 emergency services number, the media regulator said.

Ofcom said more than a third of households using their computers as phones can't call 999, although most are unaware of the restriction.

The watchdog wants to change the system to allow everyone who uses the Internet for calls to landlines or mobiles to be able to ring 999 by early next year.

''Ofcom is concerned that consumers and citizens are confused about whether they can call 999,'' it said in a consultation paper.

''That could cause delays in contacting the emergency services, which could result in serious harm.'' The number of households using Internet telephony doubled last year to more than 2.4 million and is still rising.

Service providers offer cheap, and sometimes free, calls with a system known as VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol.

Some VoIP providers bar 999 calls to avoid the expense of meeting extra regulations imposed on firms offering the service, according to evidence outlined in an Ofcom report.

The Internet Telephony Services Providers' Association, an industry body which represents 60 members, said it was considering its response to the Ofcom proposal.

Reuters>