Broadband provider fined over giving inaccurate caller locations in 999 calls
It related to phone calls made over the internet, rather than a regular phone line – known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
During this period, when any of Gigaclear's VoIP customers called 999 or 112, inaccurate information about the caller's location was made available to the emergency services, the communications watchdog said.
This affected a total of 948 calls.
Ofcom said no members of the public reportedly experienced significant harm as a result, but said the breach of its rules warranted the penalty.
George Lusty, Ofcom's enforcement director, said: 'Providing the emergency services with accurate location data can mean the difference between life and death.
'So it's vital that telecoms companies set up their systems correctly and test them thoroughly to make sure this happens.
'We won't hesitate to hold companies to account, and Gigaclear fell short on a number of basic levels, putting its customers at unacceptable risk for a prolonged period of time.'
Gigaclear provides broadband for homes and businesses with a network across the south east and south west of England and the Midlands, focusing on rural communities.
Ofcom's investigation found that Gigaclear failed to ensure its third-party supplier had correctly configured the systems that provide a caller's location to the emergency services.
It also said the firm did not carry out effective testing, nor did it properly investigate a customer complaint relating to the issue.
Gigaclear has since reconfigured its systems and taken action to prevent future issues, Ofcom said.
The fine, which was reduced by 30% because of Gigaclear admitting to the issues and agreeing to settle the case, is passed onto the Treasury when it is paid.
A spokesperson for Gigaclear said the firm 'deeply regrets the historic configuration' issue with its VoIP service.
'By the time we self-reported the issue to Ofcom in April 2024, we had already identified and rectified the error,' it said.
'We have undertaken a full post-incident review to implement the learnings from this incident and put in place processes to ensure that no similar issues arise again.
'At all times before and after the issue was fixed, all emergency calls placed by our VoIP customers were successfully connected.
'We are not aware of any actual harm to customers as a result of the issue, but we acknowledge the seriousness of the error and the importance of ensuring accurate caller location information is available to emergency services.'
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