Early on 25 June 2023, 11,470 unique calls failed to connect to the UK’s 999 emergency services network critical communications system. The fault came from a routing issue in the emergency service communications system run by BT. Authorities instructed citizens to call the 101 non-emergency number instead of the 999 number while BT dealt with the fault.

Two hours after the fault became evident, and on their second attempt, BT successfully implemented their backup service. People could call the 999 number again, but it took fifteen hours for BT to re-establish the primary system.

BT had to complete callbacks to all the unconnected callers, checking if they needed help. When necessary, BT connected them to the correct emergency service or asked the police to investigate if they couldn’t contact the caller. It took three days to finish the callbacks, and it is unclear how many people suffered because of the system failure.

The UK telecoms regulator is investigating BT, as questions are asked about their suitability for the job. If the company failed to maintain the critical communication system adequately, it could face a fine of millions of pounds. Lawsuits might also come from anyone who suffered unnecessarily.

The incident shows the ramifications for service users, responders, and the system operator when things go wrong. So, having robust software solutions is critical.

With only 34% mobile coverage in Australia, Pivotel provides critical communication solutions for people in remote locations and mobile signal dead zones. Natural disasters like bushfires, flooding, droughts, heatwaves, or storms, present a seasonal threat to people living and working in rural and isolated areas. Pivotel’s service is a vital asset for them and emergency crews.

Pivotel needed to replace a legacy component in its network to keep its products and services running efficiently. They required a future-ready software platform featuring forward and backward, multi-generation compatibility. Squire Technologies was able to meet these needs and ensure Pivotel’s emergency service communications system could offer cost-effective and best-in-class mission-critical connectivity into the future.

For nearly two decades, INdigital, the leading 911 emergency services network infrastructure provider in the United States, has delivered innovative critical communications solutions. In 2004, INdigital sought a software partner to help them to establish themselves in the emergency service industry. They needed a partner with the flexibility to adapt to new technologies and engaged Squire Technologies.

Jim Doty, Senior Switch Engineer at INdigital said of the long-term partnership, “Every call we process is a possible life-and-death situation, and Squire Technologies understands that. So, they put in the effort to ensure our network remains operational.”

Over the years, emergency service communications have transformed, and modern emergency call systems aren’t limited to phones. IoT and 5G are enhancing in-vehicle emergency calls. Throughout Europe, new cars are getting next-generation emergency call (NG-eCall) systems.

In the event of a vehicular collision, legacy eCalls are slow when automatically connecting to emergency services, risk accidental disconnection, and can’t transmit as much data as NG-eCalls. These problems could have fatal consequences.

Recently, Squire Technologies worked with a major European fleet management software company to enable their NG-eCalls to operate across past, present, and future network configurations. The project ensures that the NG-eCall feature adheres to the latest European eCall standards and that commuters have the best connection to emergency services if an accident occurs.