MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Australia is contemplating significant modifications to its telecommunications industry following a severe failure by Optus, the nation’s second-largest telecom company, which resulted in 624 emergency calls not connecting last week. This incident is linked to the tragic deaths of four individuals, prompting urgent governmental action.
On Thursday of last week, Optus attributed the call failures to a "technical failure." In Australia, individuals dial 000 for emergencies, contrasting with the 911 emergency number used in the United States. Among those affected by the outages, four people died, including a 74-year-old man and a 49-year-old man in Perth, Western Australia, as well as a 68-year-old woman and an 8-week-old boy in Adelaide, South Australia.
Prior to this incident, Optus faced fines totaling over AU$12 million (approximately $8 million) for not meeting emergency call regulations during a separate network outage on November 8, 2023. Similarly, Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications firm, was penalized AU$3 million (about $2 million) in December of the previous year for violating emergency call compliance rules during a technical glitch at its 000 call center.
In light of these serious failures, Communications Minister Anika Wells announced on Monday that the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the industry’s regulatory body, is conducting an investigation into the recent outage. Wells emphasized the legal obligations of all telecommunications providers in Australia to ensure that calls to emergency services are properly connected. “Optus and all telecommunications providers have obligations under Australian law to make sure emergency services calls go through,” Wells stated.
Wells indicated that there would be repercussions not only for Optus but for the broader telecommunications sector as well. She highlighted that Optus would be held accountable for the failure, and further actions would be considered regarding Telstra and the overall industry. Stephen Rue, the CEO of Optus and a subsidiary of the Singapore government-owned Singtel, expressed his deep regrets regarding the incident. “I want to reiterate how sorry I am about the very sad loss of lives for four people, who could not reach emergency services in their time of need,” Rue conveyed in a statement released on Sunday.
Initial investigations suggested that established procedures were not adhered to, raising concerns over reliability and compliance within the company. The failures were reported across various regions, including the Northern Territory and the states of Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales. While South Australia Police suggested that the outage was "unlikely to have contributed" to the boy's death since his grandmother used another phone to call for an ambulance, the overall implications of the connection failure remain grave.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he expects Optus to contemplate significant leadership changes, including the potential replacement of the company's CEO. "There will be a thorough investigation of this. Quite clearly, Optus’s behavior is completely unacceptable. We have made that very clear," Albanese remarked while attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
The incidents have prompted a nationwide outcry regarding telecommunications reliability, particularly in relation to emergency services—a critical aspect of public safety. The expectations for accountability and improvements in telecommunication protocols have risen sharply in light of the recent events, stressing the need for stringent adherence to emergency service obligations by all providers.
