The growing importance of Voice-over-IP (VoIP) service stability, which is becoming more essential as UK broadband ISP users increasingly switch away from traditional phone services, has been underlined today after Ofcom began investigating Vonage over its recent network availability.
Ofcom’s General Condition 3.1 (GC3.1) requires communication providers to “take all necessary measures to maintain, to the greatest extent possible (a) the proper and effective functioning of the public communications network at all times (b) in the event of catastrophic network breakdown or in cases of force majeure the fullest availability of the public communications network and telephone services and (c) uninterrupted access to emergency organisations for their end-users.”
Both Three UK and KCOM have recently been hit with big fines (here and here) after network problems, such as a major outage, meant they were unable to provide some or all customers with access to the emergency services (police, fire etc.). Section 105A(4) of the Communications Act 2003 requires CPs to take all appropriate steps to protect, “so far as possible,” the availability of the provider’s public electronic communications network.
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Ofcom’s investigation will examine whether there are reasonable grounds for believing that Vonage has failed to comply with its obligations under GC3.1 and section 105A of the Act. We aim to complete our evidence gathering phase in this investigation in May 2018. We will publish a further update on next steps then.
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