What is the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND)?
IPND stands for the Integrated Public Number Database. It is where all phone numbers in Australia are recorded along with your registered name and address. By default, phone numbers are stored in the IPND as unlisted, meaning that information relating to your phone number is not publicly available. Unlisted numbers will still be available to emergency services, law enforcement agencies and some government departments such as the electoral office, as required by law. You have the option to choose either a listed or unlisted phone number when your service is created (with the default option being ‘unlisted’).
Information about every phone service in Australia (fixed, mobile, and others) is stored in the IPND.
The provision of accurate data to the IPND is a mandatory requirement of holding a licence to act as a Carrier of telecommunications services under the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth).
Access to the data contained in the IPND is regulated strictly by legislation including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
IPND data is used for the following:
- Emergency Services (for example, when you dial 000)
- Directory Publishers
- Location Dependent Services such as law enforcement agencies
What is stored to the IPND database?
The IPND stores the following:
- Your name
- Phone number
- Address details
- Your preference for a listed, suppressed address, or unlisted telephone number
Updating your information
As above, if you have a phone service with us, the information provided with your account is shared with the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) Manager to assist with emergency services, law enforcement agencies and some government departments (such as the electoral office) being able to contact you. It is a legal obligation on us to ensure this information is shared with the IPND Manager for the approved purposes.
If you want to update any of your details associated with your phone account, you can do this by calling our customer service team on 1300 847 201 or email our team on support@unitiwireless.com. We will then pass this onto the IPND Manager.
It is important that the data stored in the IPND is accurate.
For that reason, we will ask you regularly throughout your time with us to update the information – particularly your address details – that we have for your account and that we provide to the IPND.
It is important that you update that information, otherwise, if you call emergency 000, the emergency services responders may attend the wrong address.
Be sure to include your full name, address, and contact phone number so we are able to identify your account, and be aware we may ask for some further information to ensure you are who you say you are.
Is my Uniti Talk service listed in the IPND?
All Uniti Talk services are in the IPND database, as this is a legal requirement.
Your IPND listing is comprised of the telephone number allocated to you, and your name and address details which you provided to us on signup.
Changing my phone number to be listed or unlisted – what do I need to do?
If you would like to have your number changed from being listed to unlisted, or the other way around, please contact our support team on support@unitiwireless.com An unlisted number is not publicly available, while a listed number is.
Will being listed in the IPND result in unsolicited phone calls?
Uniti enters your details into the IPND database with the directory listing set to "Unlisted". This means your details will not be made available to any publishers of directory information.
Who can view my IPND data?
Your full IPND data can be accessed only by Emergency Services – for example when you dial 000, directory publishers – if your number is listed and not if your number is unlisted, and location dependent services – such as law enforcement – for example when someone else has dialled 000. This is so that help can be dispatched to your location in the event of an emergency.
This is explained in more detail on the following page - https://www.acma.gov.au/accessing-ipnd
Can someone call Directory Assistance and get my number?
All Uniti services have been set up as "Unlisted" - so no Directory providers have your information, unless you request that we publish it.
Can I "opt out" of the IPND database?
No. No-one who has a telephone service in Australia (fixed, mobile, or others) can opt out of the IPND.
Provision of IPND data is mandatory under the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth).
Your existing fixed line phone service (if you have one) would already be in IPND.
The only way for you not to be in IPND is not to have a telephone service at all - fixed, mobile, or VoIP.
I can use Uniti Talk anywhere - how do Emergency Services know where to come?
Due to the portable nature of VoIP services, as you are able to use them anywhere if configured correctly, this can be an issue, and emergency services may not know where to come.
The IPND provides the ability to indicate that the location of a service may not be reliable. The IPND also allows the provision of contact information, in addition to your Uniti Talk number, which can be used to inform emergency services so that they can know, or work out, where to come.
Uniti has arranged our IPND records to indicate that the location of the service may not be accurate, and we have added a field for alternate contact information (generally your mobile) as an alternate contact number.
How can IPND work if I disable Calling Line Identification?
When you make an emergency 000 call, your Calling Line Identification, meaning your phone number, is always presented to the emergency services.
This happens even if you've explicitly disabled it, or prefixed your call with a feature code intended to suppress your phone number (*67 in the case of a Uniti Talk service).
Emergency services can then use your phone number to look up your location in the IPND database.
If you disable your Calling Line Identification when calling other location dependent services, they will not be able to determine your approximate location, which may lead to danger or risk for you.
Where can I find out more?
You can read all about IPND on the following pages: