Call divert service meaning

A call divert service (also called call diversion or call forwarding) is a telecoms feature that routes incoming calls from one number to another destination number (or voicemail), either for all calls or only when the line is busy, unanswered or out of coverage. In legal practice it appears in telecoms contracts, business continuity plans and consumer terms. The expression is descriptive rather than a defined statutory term. Regulation sits within the general telecoms framework: in the UK via Ofcom’s General Conditions of Entitlement for providers of public electronic communications services, and in Ireland via ComReg rules implementing the European Electronic Communications Code. Usage is broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Key issues for drafting and compliance include: who can activate or change the divert; clear pricing (the diverted leg is often chargeable to the diverting customer); any blocks on diversion to international or premium-rate numbers; service limitations and availability; and allocation of liability for misuse or fraud. Because call routing and traffic data are processed, data protection and privacy obligations (including GDPR and ePrivacy rules) may apply, particularly where employers divert staff lines or where caller line identification is displayed or suppressed.