Triple Zero Custodian to test text messaging in simulated emergency trial

The Triple Zero Custodian is testing whether people could contact Triple Zero by direct SMS when a voice call is not possible or practical, according to a statement from Communications Minister Anika Wells on Tuesday. Accenture Australia has been engaged to run the testing in a simulated environment designed to reflect real-world operational requirements.

The public will have no access to the trial, and the live Triple Zero service will not be affected. The government said the tests will not touch actual emergency calls.

The testing runs alongside the Custodian's review of Triple Zero regulations, and an interim report was released with the announcement. The report sets out eight key themes for potential reform, drawn from a public consultation held earlier this year. The next stage of stakeholder engagement is under way to explore those themes and shape recommendations for a framework that meets public expectations and gives industry clear requirements. Wells said she expects to receive the final report next year.

Wells said the government is working with industry, emergency services organisations and state and territory governments. She said about 85 per cent of Triple Zero calls are now made from mobile devices, while much of the regulatory framework was designed for a fixed-line world. Wells said a text option "would provide another safe and effective way to contact Triple Zero if people are unable to make a call".

AAP reported that a text option could help domestic violence survivors and people with limited phone services. A Senate committee recommended text options in September, following failed triple zero calls that cost people their lives, according to AAP. The inquiry also called for Triple Zero functions to be removed from Telstra and nationalised, and for domestic roaming to be mandated, AAP reported.