Fire warning systems and back-up power arrangements are just two of the measures that telecoms operators must have in place to deal with any incident that may threaten their network and to comply with their licence requirements, according to guidelines published yesterday by Oftel.
The Public Telecommunications Operators' licence requires operators to take all reasonably practicable steps to maintain, to the greatest extent possible, the availability and integrity of fixed public telephone systems and publicly available telephone services. It also requires that any restrictions on access and use of these systems are proportionate, non-discriminatory and based on objective criteria identified in advance.
The new guidelines on the essential requirements for network security and integrity set out guidance for operators to ensure they meet their licence requirements at all times.
Oftel has also separately published model criteria which operators can use, if required, to restrict calls to their networks on the grounds of integrity or security. One example would be to filter calls generated by a mass calling event, such as a TV show phone vote, to avoid the telephone network becoming overloaded.
The following documents are available on Oftel's web site:
- Guidelines on the essential requirements for network security and integrity and criteria for restriction of access to the network
- Guidelines on the essential requirements for network security and integrity
- Criteria for the restriction of access to and use of the fixed public telephone system on the grounds of network security or integrity
- An overview of the fixed telephone emergency services