One in five rural residents who use the 111 phone system to contact emergency services have problems with it, says a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry survey.
The study, Telecommunications Use, Constraints and Potential in Rural Areas, says more than half of the rural phone-users reported line problems: disconnection during internet
calls, noisy lines and exchange overloading.
But the study, reported on MAF's website, says one area of immediate concern is rural 111 emergency services.
"People using it reported problems ranging from exchange overloading, preventing call connection, and poor mobile phone coverage, making calling from a mobile impossible in some situations."
There was also a common problem - not a telecommunications fault - of centralised 111 operators having no knowledge or access to geographic information to send emergency vehicles to the right place.
The survey, of 15,000 rural delivery addresses, drew a response rate of 20 per cent, of which 99 per cent had landlines, 70 per cent cellphones and 61 per cent computers.
Just over 14 per cent had called 111 services at least once in the past two years, and 63 per cent of those had called for help more than once.
Of the 14 per cent who contacted 111, 19 per cent encountered problems. More than half of the problems reported (56 per cent) were due to a lack of location knowledge on the part of the 111 operator, and 30 per cent hinged on the long time to get a response when 111 was called.
"These are not strictly telecommunication problems, but relate to the centralisation of emergency response staff," the MAF report says.
Two people reported difficulties in getting a phone line due to exchange overloading.
Comments from users included:
* "Had to ring three times. They did not know where I lived and did not turn up till the next day."
* "Helicopter pilot was given wrong directions, but fortunately pilot knew the area and ignored them. Flew straight to the scene of the accident."
* "Idiots on the other end wanting to know how to spell 'tussock,' and sending helicopter to wrong location."
* "Operator didn't take down information given. Location for ambulance 10km out. A common occurrence"
* "Operator had never heard of our district."
- NZPA
