UK regulator tells mobile users to wait 20 seconds between calls
Key Points
- Ofcom advises waiting 20 seconds between call attempts on busy networks
- Standard SMS texts may get through when calls fail to connect
- 999 and 112 calls route via other networks for free
- Free landline battery back-ups for customers without mobile signal
- Automatic compensation after two working days without broadband or landline
Ofcom told UK mobile users to wait 20 seconds between call attempts when severe weather puts networks under strain.
The communications regulator issued the advice as part of its guidance on staying connected during storms, flooding and extreme heat.
Ofcom said mobile networks might become extremely busy during severe weather events and fail to connect phone calls. It added that multiple call attempts in a short period of time increase the pressure on the network.
Waiting between each attempt makes it more likely that a call will connect, the regulator said.
Ofcom also recommended sending a standard text message when a phone shows signal but calls fail to connect. It said these messages might still get through on an extremely busy network, and that switching to texts helps reduce the pressure on mobile infrastructure.
Android users can turn this on automatically by selecting “automatically resend as a text (SMS/MMS)” in their Google Messages settings. iPhone users can find the equivalent option under Messaging in their iOS settings. Ofcom noted that providers may charge for standard texts.
The regulator further advised users to turn on Wi-Fi calling, which routes calls over a home broadband connection when the mobile network goes down. Messaging services such as WhatsApp, Messenger, iMessage and Signal can also carry calls and messages over broadband.
Emergency calls still get through
Ofcom said that phones automatically use another provider’s network to call 999 or 112 free of charge when the user’s own network suffers an outage. Android phones show this status as “emergency calls only”, while iPhones display “SOS only”.
Some devices can also reach emergency services via satellite when no mobile network is available at all. Apple offers this through Emergency SOS on iOS, and Android phones carry a similar Satellite SOS feature.
The regulator urged users to conserve battery life during severe weather by lowering screen brightness and switching on battery saver mode.
Ofcom warned that extreme heat and floods can damage mobile masts and broadband networks, and that storms can also damage undersea internet and phone cables. It said rural areas face a greater risk of losing service.
Landlines and compensation
Digital landlines need mains electricity and stop working during a power cut unless the household has a battery back-up. Ofcom said providers must offer a free back-up solution to landline customers who depend on the service and lack a working mobile phone or reliable mobile signal.
These back-up units must last at least one hour during a power cut, though some providers supply units that run for up to seven hours.
Customers whose broadband or landline remains broken for more than two working days may qualify for compensation. This applies where their provider has signed up to Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme.
Ofcom said customers of providers outside the scheme, and those with mobile service problems, might still be entitled to compensation through their provider’s formal complaints procedure.
