8 September 2009
Handset blocking for repeated non-genuine calls to Triple Zero
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has welcomed a recently introduced industry initiative to address the incidence of non-genuine calls to the Triple Zero (000) emergency call service.
The industry initiative will progressively limit calls from mobile handsets being used to make repeated non-genuine calls to the Triple Zero emergency call service.
‘This is another good example of the mobile telecommunications industry working with Telstra, as the Emergency Call Person for Triple Zero, to develop industry-wide solutions to tackle the problem of non-genuine calls to Triple Zero,’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA.
Telstra, given its experience as the Emergency Call Person, has advised that handling of genuine calls is being increasingly compromised by the need to deal with non-genuine calls or calls that do not relate to time critical or life threatening emergencies.
Under the industry initiative, developed in consultation with the ACMA, mobile handsets from which repeated non-genuine calls are made to Triple Zero operators may be blocked across all mobile networks from being able to make calls. Progressive steps will be taken to formally warn the owner of the mobile handset before the handset is blocked, in addition to the caller details being provided to police as appropriate.
All blocked mobile handsets will be placed on a register managed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association. A similar industry-wide blocking process and register exists for mobile handsets that have been reported lost or stolen.
Triple Zero should only be dialled in emergencies that are life-threatening or time-critical situations requiring a rapid response from police, fire or ambulance services.
Calls to Triple Zero will not be blocked under the initial handset blocking process. However, the ACMA and industry will conduct a review of the industry warning and handset blocking process after six months. This will review the trigger level for initiating the blocking and give consideration to extending the blocking process to include Triple Zero calls by fully disabling the handset.
This initiative has the support of emergency services organisations nationally - police, fire and ambulance services.
In Australia, making vexatious calls to Triple Zero is a serious offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995.
Media contact: Donald Robertson, Media Manager on (02) 9334 7980.
Note to news editors: Previously, Triple Zero was also referred to as ‘Triple O’. This latter term is no longer used due to a concern that it may cause confusion for users of alphanumeric keypads who may dial the letter 'O' rather than zero.
Backgrounder
The emergency call service is an operator-assisted service designed to connect callers to an emergency service organisation in a life-threatening or time critical situation. The ACMA currently regulates the emergency call service through the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2002.
Australia’s primary emergency call service number is Triple Zero (000), which can be dialled from any fixed or mobile phone, and certain VoIP services. Emergency calls to Triple Zero are initially handled by the emergency call person. The ACMA’s Telecommunications (Emergency Call Person) Determination 1999 specifies Telstra as the emergency call person for Triple Zero.
Telstra, as the emergency call person for Triple Zero, acts as the initial answering point for emergency calls, and is required to transfer calls to the emergency service organisation requested by the caller.
Telstra reported that it received 10.3 million calls to Triple Zero in 2008-09, of which 95 per cent were answered in less than 10 seconds. Sixty-three per cent of calls to Triple Zero were made from mobile phones in 2008-09.
Around half the calls made to Triple Zero do not relate to a genuine emergency situation and are not transferred to an emergency service organisation. Non-genuine calls arise in many ways, such as from misdials, automatically generated calls from incorrectly programmed fax machines or modems, callers reporting matters that are not emergencies, and hoax and malicious calls.
The strategy to reduce non-genuine calls to Triple Zero by repeat offenders - developed by industry under the auspices of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association - provides that repeat offenders are subject to an escalated warning and action process, including account suspension and cancellation. This process may ultimately lead to a mobile handset being barred for outbound calls, other than to call the relevant carriage service provider or Triple Zero or 112. It is anticipated that withholding the user’s normal ability to make and receive calls will cause them to cease their inappropriate use of the emergency call service.
Industry is proposing to incorporate the process for identifying and managing repeat non-genuine callers to Triple Zero in the Industry Code C525:2009 Handling of Life Threatening and Unwelcome Communications developed by Communications Alliance. The ACMA is also proposing to support compliance with the new process in the ACMA’s Emergency Call Service Determination.
One other recent measure introduced to reduce the number of non-genuine calls was Telstra’s introduction of a short recorded voice announcement (RVA) for the Triple Zero emergency call service on 19 December 2008. The RVA gives people, who have accidentally dialled Triple Zero or call it to test a mobile phone, the opportunity to hang up before being connected to an operator, freeing-up the service to better handle genuine calls. Telstra has reported that since its introduction, the number of calls received by Triple Zero has reduced by approximately 20 per cent.
