The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has urged VoIP service providers to enable users to access the triple zero emergency call number.
ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said in a statement today: "At present, there does not appear to be a high level of consumer awareness that some VoIP services currently have limited or no connectivity to triple zero."
Chapman said consumers are not familiar with which types of services VoIP companies can and cannot provide.
"It is important that consumers understand the choices on offer and the differences between different types of VoIP services and more traditional telephone services," said Chapman.
As a step towards remedying the situation both the ACMA and the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) have written to VoIP service providers seeking their views on the matter, as well as proposals for technical solutions to the problem.
In the meantime both the ACMA and DCITA have requested the various service providers to do as much as they can to alert users of the problem.
Chapman added: "We expect a commitment from providers to undertake a range of proposed consumer awareness raising measures."
The announcement comes amidst continued debate on the subject around the world. In the UK, telecoms regulator Ofcom issued a similar ultimatum to the VoIP industry in July, after finding that only 64 percent of UK households with VoIP use a supplier that provides 999 emergency call access.
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