28th Jun 2023 11:08
(Alliance News) - Ofcom on Wednesday said it has launched an investigation into BT Group PLC after a disruption to UK emergency call services.
The UK regulator for the broadcast and telecommunications industries said it would investigate in the incident to establish the facts of what happened.
The investigation will also "examine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that BT has failed to comply with its regulatory obligations".
On Sunday, emergency services across the UK were impacted by system failures from around 8.30 am, which prevented 999 calls from connecting.
Minor issues continued after BT changed to a "back up system" an hour and a half later, with some reports of delays to calls being received.
Ofcom said: "Our rules require BT and other providers to take all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency organisations as part of any call services offered.
"They also require providers to take all necessary measures to ensure the fullest possible availability of calls and internet in the event of catastrophic network breakdown or in cases of force majeure."
In addition, the watchdog said providers are required to take "appropriate and proportionate" measures to identify, prepare for, and reduce risks of anything that could compromise the service.
The telecommunications company, which manages the 999 phone system, had said it was "sincerely sorry" for the incident.
A BT spokesperson said on Sunday: "We continue to work hard to determine the root cause and the impact this has had."
On Tuesday, Technology Minister Jonathon William Berry said that BT took nearly three hours to alert the government that there was a problem with the 999 emergency phone service.
The length of time it took the telecom giant to inform Whitehall will form part of a full investigation into Sunday's system failure, he told parliament.
Shares in BT were up 1.0% at 124.20 pence each in London on Wednesday morning.
In March, Ofcom had eyed up the telecom's unit Openreach, to consider whether the pricing of its Equinox 2 scheme was anti-competitive.
The watchdog ultimately gave the all-clear for the scheme to go ahead in May.
By Elizabeth Winter, Alliance News senior markets reporter
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