Four deaths linked to call failures force Australia's telecom overhaul
What's the story
Australia is set to reform its telecommunications industry after a major company's failure to connect hundreds of emergency calls last week. The incident, which was linked to four deaths, involved Optus, the country's second-largest telecom company. The company blamed a "technical failure" for the disconnection of 624 calls from emergency services on last Thursday.
Past fines
Optus previously penalized for similar violation
This isn't the first time Optus has faced penalties for failing to meet emergency call rules. The company was fined over AU$12 million (around $8 million) for a similar violation during a network outage on November 8, 2023. Australia's largest telecom company, Telstra, also faced a AU$3 million ($2 million) fine in December last year for not complying with emergency call rules during a technical disruption at its "0-0-0" call center.
Ongoing investigation
Investigation underway into incident
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the industry watchdog, is investigating what went wrong with Optus last week. "Optus and all telecommunications providers have obligations under Australian law to make sure emergency services calls go through," said Communications Minister Anika Wells. She also warned that there would be consequences for the broader telecommunications sector over this incident.
Apology issued
Apology issued by Optus CEO Rue
Stephen Rue, the CEO of Optus and a subsidiary of Singapore government-owned telecom company Singtel, has apologized for the failure. He said in a statement on Sunday, "I want to reiterate how sorry I am about the very sad loss of the lives of four people who could not reach emergency services in their time of need." Rue also noted that early investigations indicate established processes were not followed.
Widespread impact
Four people died during emergency call blackout
The failed emergency calls were reported in the Northern Territory and the states of Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales. Among those who died were a 74-year-old man and a 49-year-old man in Perth, Western Australia. In Adelaide, South Australia, a 68-year-old woman and an eight-week-old boy lost their lives. However, South Australia Police said the outage was "unlikely to have contributed" to the boy's death as his grandmother immediately used another phone to call an ambulance after her Optus phone failed.