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Report on Use of Harmonised Numbers for Services of Social Value
12.03.2014
The Romanian National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) has published a Report on the available harmonised services of social value provided via the '116' telephone numbers. Three such telephone numbers have been assigned and made available in Romania: 116 000 – emergency hotline for missing children, 116 111 – child helpline and 116 123 – emotional support helpline. Calls are free of charge in all the networks which have opened the access to the phone numbers in the 116 range.
These numbers are harmonised at European level, which allows for travelling citizens in certain types of need or distress to call the same number as in their country of residence. Certain services of social value are hence accessible by means of the same phone numbers in all the European Union Member States where the respective services are available.
116 000 – the emergency hotline for missing children,available 24/24, 7/7, is provided by the Romanian Centre for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children – FOCUS and Romtelecom, starting 25 May 2009. FOCUS ensures its operation between 8 and 22 hours in the working days, while in the rest of the time the calls are redirected to a specialised collaborator. 109,602 calls were made to 116 000 in 2010, 47,994 in 2011 and 13,840 in 2012, respectively. According to the information received from the providers, this number is accessible in 14 fixed and mobile telephone networks. The number is operational in another 24 EU Member States besides Romania.
116 111 – the child helpline,provided by the Child Helpline Association together with Romtelecom, has been operational since 1 October 2008. The number is accessible free of charge, 16/24, 7/7, in the networks of nine operators. 44,671 calls were made to this number in 2010, 168,159 in 2011, 138,104 in 2012 and, respectively, 61,388 calls were made between 1 January and 31 July 2013. The number is operational in 22 EU Member States, Romania included.
116 123 – the emotional support helpline is operational in Romania as of 1 October 2012 and is provided by the Bucharest General Directorate for Social Assistance in partnership with the Centre for prevention of child and adolescent suicide attempts within the Psychiatric Hospital Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia, together with TRANS TEL SERVICES. The number is available free of charge, 24/24, 7/7 for the subscribers of seven fixed and mobile telephony operators. 1,697 calls were registered to this number between October 2012 and May 2013. The number is implemented in another 11 EU Member States.
The decision to open the subscribers’ access to the '116' numbers designated for harmonised services of social value belongs entirely to the operators. The report includes, under Annex 3, the list of the providers which notified ANCOM that they have opened the access to the harmonised numbers of social value.
There are still two '116' numbers for services of social value available for assignment in Romania: 116 006 – helpline for victims of crimes and 116 117 – non-emergency medical assistance. Just five, respectively two EU Member States have implemented these numbers.
95% of the Romanian respondents to a survey conducted by the European Commission in 2012 on the public perception of the services provided via the '116' numbers across the EU Member States said they considered 116 000 to be useful (+2% from 2011), whereas 90% said that 116 111 was useful (+2% from 2011). These values are close to the EU average (91% and, respectively, 90%). 116 123 was not covered by the above-mentioned survey.
