112 by 2010?

Johannesburg, 12 Nov 2007

South Africans could have a single number to dial on mobile phones and landlines in case of all emergencies, by 2010, if planning by the Department of Communications (DOC) comes to fruition.

The DOC has been tinkering with the concept since 2002 and established a pilot contact centre at the Strand, near Somerset West, in 2004. It currently handles ambulance calls for the Cape metropole.

"The DOC would like to see all South Africans being able to connect to appropriate emergency organisations through dialling one centralised number, hence the need to ensure the viability of 112 emergency communications services, with the highest priority for the health, safety and welfare of South African citizens," departmental spokesman Albi Modise says.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) says a 112 single emergency number and contact centre infrastructure is "not per se a FIFA requirement, but would for sure be a helpful and appreciated initiative by the South African government".

Modise says a feasibility study was done on the Somerset West experiment and revisited earlier this year. In the meantime, the management and operations of the pilot centre are outsourced to Equal Access, a private company.

He adds that this year`s review was "informed by the fact that over the years, technology had changed. Whatever was state-of-the-art in 2004 is no longer so.

"The intention of 112 is to provide emergency communications to ensure the public can access good quality emergency services at the right time," he adds.

The law

Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act, passed in 2005, provides for the DOC to set up such a service, while it also authorises the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) to issue regulations on the matter. ICASA did exactly that late last month.

All three mobile phone providers have functional 112 contact centres that subscribers should be able to reach at any time, by way of any handset, including those without airtime, a SIM card or one that is otherwise blocked.

Modise says the DOC must still decide on two key issues: whether the project should be government-run, as is the situation with the police`s 10111 centres, or whether it should be a public-private partnership. This is the case in India, where several state governments have teamed with the private sector to provide an affordable service.

The second issue is whether there should be a single contact centre or multiple sites. Andra Pradesh state, in India, has a single centre - the Emergency Management and Research Institute - for 80 million people, about double the South African population. The state itself is about six times smaller than SA.

Prior to these issues being settled, no technology decisions can be made, neither can a budget be proposed, says Modise. Asked whether a single emergency number and contact centre infrastructure will be in place by 2010, Modise said: "I hope so."

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer says there is no stated requirement for such infrastructure for either the 2010 World Cup or the 2009 Confederations Cup.

But a reading of paragraph 10.6 of the Organising Association Agreement between FIFA and the SA Football Association to host the events may imply such a requirement.

In the dark

Industry players and analysts complain that the DOC has kept its cards too close to its chest. Several analysts have never heard of the 112 initiative and most who have, know very little. Even the mobile phone providers are somewhat in the dark, says Cell C regulatory affairs head Nadia Bulbulia.

"At this stage operators are unclear on what will be expected; needless to say that contractual agreements we have with existing third-parties, who provide our emergency call centres (as per licence requirement), will have to be carefully considered," she says.

"The draft regulations of 18 October 2007 call for all licensees to work together in establishing a forum within three months of the regulations being published, to resolve any matters that may arise," she adds.

"The operators have already jointly submitted a letter to the DOC requesting clarity on a range of issues. This letter was done subsequent to an industry workshop held in August 2007 on the proposed 112 call centres, thus demonstrating the willingness to comply with impending legislation."

Integrate now

BMI-T senior analyst Richard Hurst says "integration is going to be a massive issue". But, work to integrate all local and provincial fire brigades, ambulance services and police - traffic, metro and national - into a single seamless and integrated system will have to start immediately.

"If something is not done soon, we will continue developing new silos that make it harder to integrate down the line."

Adrian Schofield, head of research at ForgeAhead, says changes to the Regulation of Interception of Communication and Provision of Communication-related Information Act will assist rescuers "tell who you are and where you are".