98
No. 28743
Act No. 36, 2005
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 18 APRIL 2006
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ACT, 2005
(4) Electronic communications network service licensees and electronic communications service licensees must—
(a) carry communications to 112 Emergency Centres and from 112 Emergency
Centres to emergency organisations; and
(b) make automatic number identity, such as caller line identity, and automatic 5
location identity available to 112 Emergency Centres.
(5) The obligation imposed on licensees in terms of subsection (4)(b) supersedes any
request by a subscriber to withhold their identity or location, which may be permitted
under any applicable law or licence condition.
(6) Licensees are exempted from liability for all claims arising out of acts done in 10
meeting their obligation under subsection (4)(b).
(7) The Authority may make regulations to—
(a) ensure the implementation of sections 76, 77 and 78; and
(b) extend the obligations under subsection (4) to other holders of class and
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individual licences.
(8) Where the Authority extends the obligations under subsection (4) to other
licensees the provisions of sections 76, 77 and 78 apply to such licensees.
Duties of 112 Emergency Centres and licensees
77. (1) 112 Emergency Centres must transmit a request for an emergency service to an
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emergency organisation.
(2) Licensees required to carry communications to 112 Emergency Centres may not
levy any charge on the caller for placing calls to 112 Emergency Centres.
(3) The cost of transporting any communications, including automatic number
identity and automatic location identity, to and from 112 Emergency Centres to any
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emergency organisation must be borne by the licensee.
National Public emergency number
78. (1) The number 112 is hereby established as the exclusive national public
emergency number.
(2) No person may apply for the registration, in terms of applicable intellectual
property legislation or any other law, of any mark or domain name containing the 30
numerals 1-1-2 in that sequence.
(3) No person may call the national emergency telecommunication number 112 for
any purpose other than to request an emergency service.
Standards, capabilities and operating procedures of 112 Emergency Centres
79. (1) As far as practicably possible, 112 Emergency Centres must have voice, SMS, 35
data and global positioning systems capability.
(2) The Minister may, from time to time, by notice in the Gazette direct 112
Emergency Centres to develop and apply common technical standards and standard
operating procedures.
(3) 112 Emergency Centres may, subject to the provisions of Chapter 3, establish their 40
own radio networks, if such networks are used exclusively to communicate calls and
SMS to 112 Emergency Centres or emergency organisations.
(4) Emergency Centres may display the 112 public emergency numbers on public
roads and other public places without cost.
CHAPTER 14
45
UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND ACCESS AGENCY OF SOUTH AFRICA
Continued existence of Universal Service Agency
80. (1) Despite the repeal of the Telecommunications Act by this Act, the Universal
Service Agency established in terms of section 58(1) of the Telecommunications Act
continues to exist as a juristic person in terms of this Act and will henceforth be called 50
the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa.