Legal status

Understanding the legalities of a GSM gateway Solution

This area can be confusing and is understandably so, as when GSM Gateway technology was first produced it was uncertain as to which set of regulations should govern it.

The equipment is fixed, but it uses mobile phone technology – so should it come under the same regulations as fixed radio transmitters, or the same rules as mobile phones?

While some people held back using GSM Gateways because of the legal uncertainties, other ploughed ahead and set up centralised ‘SIM farms.’

These took traffic in from multiple organisations and routed them out into the mobile networks from one or more Gateways at a single location.

The resulting immense concentration of mobile phone traffic coming from these Gateways often caused considerable disruption to the mobile networks in their local areas.

To clarify the situation, in 2002 the Radio Communications Agency (Part of the DTI), began consulting all interested parties, including the mobile network operators.

In July 2003 they changed the regulations to allow the use of “Private Gateways.”

The definition of a Private Gateway is very clear around 3 key areas:

• The Gateway must be located on the customers network
• Only the customer’s own traffic may be routed through the Gateway
• The mobile airtime contract must be in the customer’s name

This means that you are able to install a Gateway on your site quite legally, and to route calls from any of your own sites or businesses via the Gateway.

For any further enquiries please email support@centralcom.co.uk or call 08444 120 320