UK Communications regulator Ofcom has imposed a £800,000 fine on BT for its failure to meet deadline for improved text-to-voice service for customers with hearing or speech impairments.
Ofcom had previously ordered all UK landline and mobile providers to launch text relay service by the April 18 deadline.
BT launched its Next Generation Text Service in September last year, more than five months after the initial deadline, blaming technical problems with the sound quality of emergency calls for the delay.
For its incompetency to meet the deadline, BT will now have to pay £800,000 to the regulator which will be passed on to the Treasury.
Ofcom consumer and content group director Claudio Pollack said “The size of the penalty imposed on BT reflects the importance of providing an improved text relay service to its customers with hearing and speech impairments.
“However, BT has invested significantly in launching the new text relay service, which allows users to have conversations more easily and fluently and on new devices. We welcome the fact the service is now operating successfully.”
In response, a BT spokesperson said “We’re sorry we had to postpone the full launch of the Next Generation Text service. This was because of a safety issue with the quality of emergency calls that could have put users at risk.
“We fixed the issue as quickly as possible, and after fully testing the service, launched it at the beginning of October 2014. The service has been warmly welcomed by users. Hearing and speech impaired people can now make faster, more fluent phone calls using ordinary smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs, as well as existing specialised terminals.”
