Government to review the national Triple Zero operator

The federal government has announced that it is reviewing the operation of the national Triple Zero operator to ensure that arrangements take advantage of new technologies and provide improved services.

Current arrangements for the national Triple Zero operator were established when voice calls from landlines dominated the telecommunications landscape. Now around two-thirds of calls come from mobile phones.

The review will explore how the Triple Zero service can take advantage of telecommunications advances and respond to changing community expectations. New services such as the Emergency + Smartphone App, which displays the phone’s GPS coordinates for the caller to read out to the emergency operator, is an example of how modern technology can be used to improve the Triple Zero service.

The review will focus on the Commonwealth-regulated national Triple Zero operator and Commonwealth regulation relevant to the Triple Zero emergency call service. It will work closely with the state and territory emergency service organisations, as they carry the responsibility for receiving and responding to emergency calls transferred from the national operator.

The Department of Communications has commenced public consultations with the release of a discussion paper. Individuals and organisations are invited to contribute to the review by completing an online survey or making a written submission.