Open
Gigaclear Limited
11 October 2024
We are investigating whether Gigaclear Limited (Gigaclear) failed to provide accurate and reliable caller location information to emergency organisations between January 2022 and March 2024.
General Conditions A3.5, A3.6(a), C6.4(a) and C6.6
On further consideration of the information provided, it is Ofcom’s view that, in addition to General Conditions A3.5 and A3.6(a), Ofcom has reason to consider Gigaclear’s compliance with General Conditions C6.4(a) (GC C6.4(a)) and C6.6 (GC C6.6).
GC C6.4(a) requires that, when providing calling line identification facilities, regulated providers must ensure, so far as technically feasible, that any calling line identification data provided with and/or associated with a call includes a valid, dialable telephone number which uniquely identifies the caller.
GC C6.6 requires that, where technically feasible, regulated providers must: take all reasonable steps to identify calls, other than calls to emergency organisations, in relation to which the calling line identification data provided is invalid, does not uniquely identify the caller, or does not contain a telephone number that is dialable; and prevent those calls from being connected to the called party, where such calls are identified.
These conditions are part of the requirements on communications providers to provide calling line identification facilities, so that call recipients can identify the person calling them and choose whether or not to accept the call.
We have widened the scope of our investigation to additionally consider Gigaclear’s compliance with GC C6.4(a) and C6.6, as we establish the facts surrounding this matter.
Ofcom has today opened an investigation into Gigaclear’s compliance with General Conditions A3.5 (GC A3.5) and A3.6(a) (GC A3.6(a)). This follows Gigaclear’s notification to Ofcom of various issues with its caller location information between January 2022 and 11 March 2024.
GC A3.5 requires that regulated providers, to the extent technically feasible, make accurate and reliable caller location information available for all calls to the emergency call numbers “112” and “999” at no charge to end-users and the emergency organisations handling those calls, at the time the call is answered by those organisations.
GC A3.6(a) requires that, in order to make accurate and reliable caller location information available to the emergency organisations handling the calls to “112” and “999”, regulated providers must comply with certain requirements. Where providers offer an electronic communications service at a fixed location, the caller location information must, at least, accurately reflect the fixed location of the end-user’s terminal equipment including the full postal address.
Ofcom’s investigation will seek to establish the facts surrounding this matter and examine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that Gigaclear has failed to comply with its regulatory obligations.
Enforcement team (enforcement@ofcom.org.uk)
CW/01287/09/24