UK telecom regulator, Ofcom, has ruled that internet telephone carriers must provide uninterrupted access to Britian’s emergency number, 999, as well as the European Union’s universal emergency line, 112.

Carriers have until September 2008 to comply with the ruling, which applies to all VoIP firms that allow their customers to call normal phone numbers over the internet.

Ofcom says that the regulation is necessary to ensure that emergency victims can summon help as quickly as possible. According to a recent survey, an astounding 78% of those using non-emergency-enabled VoIP services in the UK thought that they had access to 999 and/or 112.