in any area covered by the GSM network – when you are out of your service provider's coverage area but are in another carrier's mobile phone network coverage area, your call will be carried on the other carrier’s network;

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100575

Given that no carrier could hope to cover the continent and the specialist carriers didn't even start to try and also the the Australian market is very strongly regulated and the biggest carrier was government owned, it seems a no brainer.

It is one of those sorts of things that catches Australians by suprise in the UK. If the government are going to worry about public safety via cameras, why wouldn't you regulate to ensure your most accurate life-threatening reporting method has the most reliable coverage possible (including SMS for the deaf etc)? Everybody in Oz knows that no matter what their commercial relationship with their carrier looks like (including out of date SIM cards or stuck in Pinnaroo pop 550 with one mobile mast), they can report an accident as a public service: it is part of the culture of the country. Why would you start regulating emergency calls on VoIP when mobile which is ubiquitous isn't even sorted out?

I'm not suggesting that anyone should ring the emergency services on a whim – but if you're relying on that functionality in an emergency you should test it. Worst case scenario, it works and you can tell the operator you miss dialled.

t

Sorting out Glasto stuff this week – decided to try 'Glastonav' from Orange – Surprise Surprise it doesn't work. Brilliant.

http://www.glastonav.co.uk

I should be seeing the lovely Technokitten at Glastonbury at some point, so I'll ask her then…

Mike has a point mind, but hey – at least we know he's listening.

…and I always wave my phones around. You know that.
It's like a recurring theme.

You can punish me, but the real blame lies with Nokia

Will be nice to have a feminine touch. Can't wait for Ewan's reaction to the first Cath Kidston-themed mobile review.

Actually, there are a few pending invites.

in any area covered by the GSM network – when you are out of your service provider's coverage area but are in another carrier's mobile phone network coverage area, your call will be carried on the other carrier’s network;

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100575

Given that no carrier could hope to cover the continent and the specialist carriers didn't even start to try and also the the Australian market is very strongly regulated and the biggest carrier was government owned, it seems a no brainer.

It is one of those sorts of things that catches Australians by suprise in the UK. If the government are going to worry about public safety via cameras, why wouldn't you regulate to ensure your most accurate life-threatening reporting method has the most reliable coverage possible (including SMS for the deaf etc)? Everybody in Oz knows that no matter what their commercial relationship with their carrier looks like (including out of date SIM cards or stuck in Pinnaroo pop 550 with one mobile mast), they can report an accident as a public service: it is part of the culture of the country. Why would you start regulating emergency calls on VoIP when mobile which is ubiquitous isn't even sorted out?

in any area covered by the GSM network – when you are out of your service provider's coverage area but are in another carrier's mobile phone network coverage area, your call will be carried on the other carrier

I'm not suggesting that anyone should ring the emergency services on a whim – but if you're relying on that functionality in an emergency you should test it. Worst case scenario, it works and you can tell the operator you miss dialled.

t

Sorting out Glasto stuff this week – decided to try 'Glastonav' from Orange – Surprise Surprise it doesn't work. Brilliant.

http://www.glastonav.co.uk

I should be seeing the lovely Technokitten at Glastonbury at some point, so I'll ask her then…