000 Emergency Calling on VOIP: What Australian Businesses Must Know

This article explains how 000 emergency calling works on VOIP in Australia, what your obligations are as a business using a VOIP phone system, and the practical steps you must take to ensure 000 calls from your premises reach emergency services with the right location information. Need to Know Comms is an independent Australian publishing project. The information in this guide is based on the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019, ACMA regulatory guidance, and direct experience with business VOIP deployments across NBN connections. Unlike a generic 'does VOIP support 000' answer, this guide gives you the specific compliance actions your business needs to take, and explains what happens if you skip them.

Can You Call 000 from a VOIP Phone in Australia?

Yes. Carriage service providers supplying an emergency telephone service must provide access to 000 under the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 and the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019. ACMA states that only certain VoIP services can call 000, so confirm support for your specific service.

When you call 000 from a VOIP phone, the call is routed through your provider's network to the Emergency Call Person (ECP), which is currently operated by Telstra under a government contract. The ECP routes your call to the appropriate emergency service, police, fire, or ambulance, based on your state.

Many Australian VoIP services support 000, but you must confirm that your specific service does. The more important question is what happens when that call connects, specifically, whether emergency services know where you are calling from.

This is not a setting to leave until later. If the address details held by the provider are missing or outdated, emergency services may receive an incorrect service address and the caller will need to provide the actual location. Check your provider's portal or contact its support team; the update process and timing vary by provider. Do it now.

If your business has recently moved to a new address, check that your nominated address has been updated with your provider. The nominated address is the physical location registered against your phone service for emergency calling. Log in to your provider's portal, find the emergency calling or address settings, and confirm the address listed is your current premises. If you've moved and haven't updated it, that's a gap worth closing today.

How VOIP Location Works for 000 Calls

This is where VOIP differs critically from a traditional landline, and where many businesses have a gap in their emergency calling setup.

With a traditional copper landline (PSTN), the phone number is tied to a fixed physical address in Telstra's records. When you call 000 from a landline, the operator has immediate access to your address. This is automatic, you do not need to do anything to enable it, and it works even if you are unable to speak.

With VOIP, the situation is different. Your VOIP phone number is registered to an account, not a physical line. The network transfers the calling number and the most precise location information available, while the Emergency Call Person also obtains the service address stored in the IPND. For VoIP, that service address may not be the caller's actual physical location.

What Is a Nominated Address?

A nominated address is the physical address that your business phone company registers against your service for emergency calling purposes. The Emergency Call Person receives call and standardised location information from the network and can obtain the service address stored in the IPND; for VoIP, that address may not match the caller's current location.

Most business phone companies will ask you to confirm or enter your nominated address when you sign up. Some send a reminder to update it if you change premises. But in practice, many businesses set up VOIP, move offices at some point, and never update the nominated address with their provider. This means a 000 call from their new premises sends the old address to the operator, creating a genuine safety risk.

What business phone companies Are and Are Not Required to Do

The Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019 sets out what licensed business phone companies must provide. Understanding the distinction between what is required and what is not helps you understand why the nominated address process matters.

What Your business phone company Must Do

Under Australian law, licensed business phone companies are required to:

• Route 000 calls to the Emergency Call Person
• Transfer the calling public number and the most precise location information available, and maintain required service-address information in the IPND
• Provide a way for customers to update their nominated address
• Provide customers with the emergency-call information required by applicable rules, including information about emergency numbers and their availability and coverage
• Not block or prevent 000 calls from being made

What Your business phone company Is Not Currently Required to Do

business phone companies are not currently required to:

• Automatically determine the precise physical location of each handset at the time of a 000 call (unlike mobile networks, which use tower triangulation and GPS)
• Update the transmitted location in real time if a staff member moves the handset or takes a softphone to a different address
• Guarantee that 000 calls will connect if your internet connection is unavailable

This 'best-effort' model is the regulatory reality for VOIP emergency calling in Australia as of 2026. Keeping the service address current supports accurate IPND records, but providers also have separate obligations concerning call carriage, calling-number information and the most precise location information available.

The Power Outage Problem

This is the emergency calling risk that most businesses overlook when they switch from landlines to VOIP.

Traditional copper landlines carried their own power through the phone line. During a power outage, a basic PSTN phone continued to work because Telstra's network powered the circuit. You could call 000 in a blackout.

VOIP requires two things that do not have built-in backup power: your internet connection (the NBN modem/router) and your VOIP phone or the computer running your softphone. If either of these loses power, your VOIP service is unavailable, and with it, your ability to call 000.

NBN Battery Backup: What You Get and What You Don't

NBN connection boxes require mains power. Some FTTP installations have a separate Power Supply Unit with battery backup, but this is not built into every NTD or supplied by default. However, this battery is not indefinite:

• FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) NBN boxes: The battery backup provides approximately five hours of standby time for voice calls, or less under active use. After the battery is depleted, your NBN connection and VOIP service stop working.
• FTTC, FTTN, FTTB (fibre to the node/curb/building): These connection types use a different NTD that may not include battery backup. Power to the node equipment comes from the street, but your router and VOIP equipment still need local power.
• HFC (Cable) NBN: Landline and internet services will not work during a power outage within the HFC network or premises.The practical implication: in a power outage, you may have a few hours of VOIP calling available if you have FTTP NBN. You may have none at all if your router loses power first. Five hours is not enough backup for an overnight outage or an extended emergency event.
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  Battery backup for your equipment: A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) connected to your NBN NTD, router, and VOIP phone can extend your calling window during a power outage significantly. UPS price and runtime vary by model, battery capacity, connected load and battery condition; size and test the unit for the required backup period. For businesses in areas prone to outages or where continuity of communication is critical, a UPS is a worthwhile investment.

  Remote Workers and 000 on VOIP

  If your business has staff working from home or other remote locations using softphones or VOIP desk phones, the nominated address problem is more complex. The address registered to your VOIP service is your business premises, not the home of each remote worker.

  A remote VoIP call may be associated with the service address stored against its outbound public number, which may be the business premises rather than the worker's current location. In an emergency where the operator needs to dispatch services, this is a serious problem.

  The practical guidance for remote workers using VOIP softphones:

  • Use a mobile phone as the primary 000 option. Many compatible smartphones use Advanced Mobile Location to estimate and send coordinates using GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile-network information and other inputs, but callers should still state their location because AML is not available in every situation. For any genuine emergency at a home or remote location, calling 000 from a mobile is safer than calling from a VOIP softphone.
  • Know your address and state it clearly. If a remote worker must call 000 from a VOIP softphone, they must immediately state their full physical address and location to the operator, do not assume the operator has accurate location data.

  Multi-Site Businesses and 000 Compliance

  If your business operates from more than one physical location, multiple offices, a warehouse, a retail site, each location's phones should have a nominated emergency address matching that specific site's physical address.

  Many cloud phone system platforms allow you to register separate nominated addresses per extension group or per site. Ask the provider how each site's outbound public number and IPND service-address information are handled; available multi-site configuration mechanisms vary by provider and PBX design.

  For more on how multi-site VOIP deployments work in Australia, see our guide to VOIP for multi-site businesses in Australia.

  Special Cases: Medical Alarms, Fire Panels, and Lift Phones on VOIP

  This is a critical area where businesses must seek specialist advice before assuming VOIP is a drop-in replacement for their existing copper line services.

  Many older commercial buildings, medical practices, and facilities have devices connected to a copper telephone line that automatically call emergency services:

  • Medical alarms and personal emergency devices: Devices that dial an alarm centre or 000 when activated
  • Fire alarm panels: Connected to a monitored alarm service via a dedicated phone line
  • Lift emergency phones: Required by Australian Standards to connect to a 24/7 monitored service
  • Security systems: Dialler-based systems that report to a monitoring centre via PSTN

  These devices are designed for analogue PSTN connections. Connecting them via an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) to a VOIP service introduces signal timing and compression differences that can cause unreliable operation, including calls that fail to connect, calls that connect but with degraded audio quality that the alarm centre cannot interpret, or calls that drop before the message is transmitted.

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  Do not connect medical alarms, fire panels, or lift phones to a VOIP ATA without specialist advice. These are life-safety systems. Confirm compatibility with the device manufacturer and your alarm monitoring company before making any changes. The appropriate compliant solution is device- and site-specific; confirm it with the equipment provider, monitoring company and relevant regulatory requirements. For medical practices specifically, see our guide on VOIP for medical practices in Australia.

  Regulatory Background: Who Regulates This and What It Means for Your Business

  The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the regulator responsible for VOIP emergency calling requirements. The key instrument is the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019, which sits under the Telecommunications Act 1997.

  ACMA's rules place the compliance obligation on telecommunications providers, your business phone company is required to route 000 calls and transmit location information. However, the rules also create a practical shift in responsibility: if you do not keep your nominated address current, the provider has fulfilled their obligation by transmitting the address you provided. Businesses should give their telco accurate, current address information; any legal liability arising from incorrect information would depend on the specific circumstances and applicable law.

  This is not a theoretical risk. The fix is simple and takes less than five minutes, but it only happens if the business takes the step.

  PSTN Copper Shutdown and What It Means for 000

  The NBN rollout replaced most legacy fixed-line phone services within the fixed-line footprint, but Australia's copper PSTN was not universally shut down in 2025 and copper services remain in some areas and circumstances. Many businesses in NBN fixed-line areas migrated to NBN-based voice services, but the service in use depends on the premises, access technology and provider arrangements. If your NBN modem has a telephone port (provided by your ISP), your existing phone handsets are connected to an ATA built into the ISP's modem, and you are already using VOIP.

  This matters for 000 because many businesses believe they still have the 'reliable' PSTN connection and its associated emergency calling properties. They do not. NBN-based voice services require power, but their emergency-location handling and other limitations vary between fixed ISP voice services and nomadic cloud-phone configurations. The nominated address requirement applies regardless of whether your VOIP service is a specialist cloud phone system platform or a bundled ISP phone service. See our guide on migrating from a landline to VOIP in Australia for more on this transition.

  What Most Businesses Get Wrong About 000 and VOIP

  Three mistakes come up consistently when businesses switch to VOIP and then later discover a problem with their emergency calling setup.

  Mistake 1: Assuming 000 'Just Works' the Same as a Landline

  The most common mistake is the assumption that because 000 calls work on VOIP (which they do), they work the same way as they did on a PSTN landline (which they do not). The call connects. The difference is in what the 000 operator sees. On a landline, they see your address automatically. On VOIP, they see whatever nominated address is registered, which may be wrong if you have moved, or may be your business address rather than the remote worker's actual location.

  The fix: treat the nominated address as a piece of safety infrastructure, the same way you treat a fire extinguisher. It needs to be correct, and someone needs to own the responsibility for keeping it correct.

  Mistake 2: Not Updating the Nominated Address After Moving Premises

  This is a direct safety risk. Businesses move offices more frequently than they think, and the nominated address update is not on anyone's moving checklist unless someone specifically adds it. When you move premises, updating the nominated address with your business phone company is as important as updating your business address on ABN registration, with your bank, and on your website. Add it to your moving checklist now.

  Mistake 3: Not Having a Backup Communication Plan for Power Outages

  Businesses that have relied on VOIP as their only phone service without any power backup are vulnerable in the specific scenario where they might most need to call 000: a power outage combined with an emergency. The NBN battery lasts approximately five hours at best. If your router does not have UPS backup, your VOIP service stops the moment the power goes out.

  Every business should have at least one mobile phone on premises as a backup 000 option. This is not a technology problem, it is a basic operational preparedness requirement. For businesses where reliable communications continuity is critical (medical practices, facilities with vulnerable occupants, remote locations), a UPS for the NBN NTD and router is a worthwhile additional layer.

  Your Next Steps: 000 Compliance Checklist for VOIP Businesses

  Work through this checklist to ensure your business has taken all necessary steps for safe and compliant 000 emergency calling on VOIP.

  • Step 1: Confirm your business phone company supports 000. Carriage service providers supplying an emergency telephone service must provide 000 access, but you should confirm that your specific VoIP service supports it. If you have any doubt, ask your provider to confirm whether your specific service supports 000 and retain any written service information they provide. If they cannot confirm it, use a different provider.
  • Step 2: Locate your nominated emergency address in your VOIP account. Log into your provider's portal and find the emergency calling or nominated address section. Confirm the address matches your current physical premises exactly.
  • Step 3: Update the nominated address if it is wrong or out of date. If you have moved, update it immediately. Treat this as urgent.
  • Step 4: For multi-site businesses, register each site's address separately. Work with your business phone company to ensure each extension group or site has the correct physical address as its nominated emergency address.
  • Step 5: Brief remote workers on 000 from VOIP. Any staff member using a VOIP softphone from home or another off-site location should know to use their mobile for 000 in any genuine emergency, and to state their address clearly if they must call from a VOIP softphone.
  • Step 6: Put a laminated notice near office phones. A simple card reading 'For 000 from this VOIP phone: state your full address immediately when the operator answers' takes two minutes to make and could save critical seconds in an emergency.
  • Step 7: Check your power backup situation. Identify whether your NBN NTD, router, and VOIP phones would survive a power outage. If not, consider a UPS for the critical equipment or ensure staff know to use mobiles in the event of a power failure.
  • Step 8: Confirm life-safety devices separately. If you have fire panels, medical alarms, lift phones, or security diallers connected to your phone system, contact those device suppliers and your alarm monitoring company to confirm they operate correctly over VOIP. Do not assume, get written confirmation.
  • Step 9: Add 'update nominated address' to your business move checklist. Every time your business moves premises, this must be updated. Make it a documented step in your moving process so it cannot be forgotten.

  The issue is not that VOIP is unsafe for emergency calling. The issue is that it requires a small amount of active management that landlines did not. These steps can reduce emergency-calling risks, but confirm functionality and applicable compliance requirements for your specific service, sites and equipment.

  For more on setting up a VOIP system correctly in an Australian business context, see our best VOIP phone system guide for small businesses and our NBN VOIP setup guide.

  Emergency call reliability on VoIP depends partly on your network setup, a dropped internet connection means no 000 access unless you have a backup path. Our Office Phone Readiness Check identifies single points of failure in your network that could affect emergency call access.

  The 000 calling obligations under VOIP are one of the practical differences between VOIP and traditional copper phone services. Our guide to VOIP vs traditional phone in Australia covers the regulatory differences between the two service types, including the emergency calling requirements that apply to each.

  Can you call 000 from a VOIP phone in Australia?

  Yes. Carriage service providers supplying an emergency telephone service must provide access to 000 under the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 and the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019. A VoIP phone can connect to 000 only if the specific service and its call routing support emergency calls; confirm this with the provider. The key difference from a landline is that the location information transmitted to the operator depends on your registered nominated address, it is not automatically determined from a fixed line record the way a traditional PSTN landline works.

  What is a nominated address for VOIP emergency calling?

  A nominated address is the physical address registered to your VOIP service for emergency calling purposes. The network transfers the calling number and available location information, and the Emergency Call Person can obtain the service address stored in the IPND. It is critical that this address matches your actual physical location. If your business has moved premises and you have not updated the nominated address with your business phone company, the wrong address will be sent to the emergency operator. Log into your provider's account portal to check and update this address.

  What happens to my VOIP phone if the power goes out?

  Your VOIP service will stop working when power to your NBN equipment and router is interrupted. Some FTTP installations have a separate battery-backed Power Supply Unit that can power the NBN connection box for up to approximately five hours, but it does not power all connected equipment. If your router or VOIP phone loses power (and is not connected to a UPS), your VOIP service stops immediately. In a power outage, mobile phones are the most reliable way to call 000 because they operate on their own battery and connect to the mobile network independently of your NBN connection.

  Does NBN have battery backup for emergency calls?

  Some FTTP installations have a separate Power Supply Unit with battery backup that can power the NBN connection box for up to approximately five hours. Battery backup is not supplied by default for every FTTP voice service; ask the provider what backup options and any Priority Assistance requirements apply. However, this battery only covers the NTD itself, not your router or VOIP phone equipment. If your router is not on UPS power, your internet connection (and VOIP service) will fail when the router loses power, regardless of whether the NTD has battery remaining. The NBN battery also does not provide indefinite backup, it depletes in approximately five hours under normal use.

  Can remote workers call 000 from a VOIP softphone?

  Technically yes, a VOIP softphone will route a 000 call. The address associated with the softphone's outbound public number may be the business service address rather than the remote worker's current location. This means emergency services may be dispatched to your office rather than to where the remote worker actually is. For this reason, remote workers using VOIP softphones should use a mobile phone to call 000 in any genuine emergency. Many compatible smartphones use Advanced Mobile Location to estimate and send coordinates using GPS, Wi-Fi, network information and other inputs, but this does not work in every situation.

  Do I need to do anything special to enable 000 on my business VOIP system?

  The most important step is to verify and keep current the nominated emergency address in your VOIP account. Log into your provider's portal, find the emergency calling or address settings section, and confirm that the address matches your current physical premises. If you have multiple sites, ensure each site's phone extensions have the correct address registered. You should also brief any remote workers to use their mobile for 000, and consider a UPS for your NBN and router equipment to maintain calling capability during power outages.

  Are fire panels and medical alarms safe to connect to VOIP?

  Not without specialist verification. Fire alarm panels, medical alarms, personal emergency devices, lift phones, and security diallers are designed for analogue PSTN connections. Connecting them to a VOIP service via an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) can cause unreliable operation due to signal timing and compression differences. These are life-safety systems, do not assume compatibility. Contact the device manufacturer and your alarm monitoring company for written confirmation of VOIP compatibility before making any changes. In some cases, a separate dedicated analogue or M2M service line is required.

  Who is responsible if 000 does not work correctly on my VOIP system?

  Your business phone company is legally required to route 000 calls and transmit the best-effort location data they have, which is your nominated address. If you have provided an incorrect or out-of-date nominated address, the provider has technically met their obligation by transmitting the address you registered. The practical responsibility for keeping the nominated address current sits with the business. Businesses should keep the address information supplied to their provider current; responsibility and liability for a failure would depend on the provider's obligations, the customer's actions and the specific legal circumstances.

  Switching to VOIP or reviewing your current setup? Our team can help you navigate the compliance requirements, hardware choices, and provider selection for Australian businesses, including ensuring your 000 emergency calling setup is correct.

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