David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said:
"All public telecoms operators have a licence obligation to ensure that the security and integrity of their network is maintained at all times. For the first time Oftel has set out guidelines on the measures we expect operators to have in place to meet this obligation.
"Oftel expects operators to ensure they are prepared for an event such as a fire or power cut so that services to consumers can continue uninterrupted and any disruption is minimal. Operators and Oftel already work closely together to maintain network security and integrity to a high level. Recent global events have shown that there is a wider overall risk and everyone in the telecoms industry accepts that security is vital.”