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Ofcom Opens Investigations Into BT and Three Over Summer Outages That Hit 999 Calls

The regulator will examine whether the operators met rules to manage network risks after outages that blocked some 999 calls.

Overview

  • Ofcom said the probes will establish the facts and assess any breaches of obligations that require operators to take appropriate, proportionate measures to ensure service availability and mitigation.
  • BT reported a software fault on July 24–25 affecting its EE network that left many customers unable to make or receive calls, including to emergency services.
  • Three reported a separate failure on June 25 that impeded access to 999, citing an exceptional traffic spike triggered by a third‑party software configuration change.
  • The new actions follow an earlier Ofcom investigation opened in June into BT after technical faults affected the 999 emergency call service.
  • BT pledged full cooperation and issued an apology for the disruption, while Three said compensation would be handled case by case and BT/EE have not confirmed any payments.