Federal government to improve Triple Zero service

The federal government has announced an expression of interest (EOI) process for the provision of the Triple Zero emergency call service.

This follows the ‘Review of the National Triple Zero (000) Operator’, which concluded with the release of a public report and implementation plan earlier this year. The review was focused on ensuring the Triple Zero service could keep pace with technological advancements and respond to changing consumer expectations.

The outcomes of the review strongly supported the emergency call service being transitioned to an IP-based environment, which would offer greater flexibility and opportunities to enhance existing functionality.

The EOI process is the latest step in ensuring all Australians have access to a service which can keep pace with new and innovative technologies.

When Triple Zero was introduced in 1961, it was a voice-only service and fixed-line telephones were the primary means of communication. Today, the majority of calls to Triple Zero come from mobile phones, while the rapid development of new technologies has enabled a range of new communications options.

The Department of Communications and the Arts is also conducting a separate EOI process, seeking technology solutions to enable accurate location-based data for emergency calls made from mobile phones, with submissions due by 14 October 2016.

The EOI documents for the supply of the Triple Zero emergency call service are available here.

Image credit: ©Rafael Ben-Ari/Dollar Photo Club