Three people have died after an Optus network failure prevented hundreds of customers from accessing triple zero emergency services during a botched system upgrade on Thursday. Among the victims was an eight-week-old baby from Gawler, South Australia, and a 68-year-old woman from Adelaide’s Queenstown suburb.
The devastating incident has sparked outrage across Australia, with government officials condemning the telecommunications giant’s handling of the crisis and demanding immediate answers.
Technical Failure During Network Upgrade Causes Widespread Outage
Optus CEO Stephen Rue confirmed that approximately 600 customers were potentially impacted by the triple zero outage, which affected South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. The technical failure occurred during what the company described as a routine network upgrade process.
Stephen Rue joined Optus as Chief Executive Officer in November 2024
Strangely, customers could still make normal landline or mobile calls – only triple zero emergency calls were affected. This selective disruption has raised serious questions about Optus’s emergency call infrastructure and backup systems.
The company discovered the deaths while conducting mandatory welfare checks on customers who had attempted to contact emergency services during the outage period.
Government Officials Condemn “Unacceptable” Failure
Communications Minister Anika Wells described the incident as “incredibly serious and completely unacceptable,” stating that the failure had “tragic consequences“. She emphasised that all telecommunications providers have legal obligations to ensure emergency service calls are properly handled.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas delivered particularly harsh criticism of Optus’s crisis management. “I have not witnessed such incompetence from an Australian corporation with respect to communication worse than this,” he told reporters, expressing frustration that his government was left uninformed about the deaths until Optus held its own press conference.
The premier announced that South Australia would conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Optus’s Troubled History with Emergency Call Failures
This latest crisis marks the second major emergency call failure for Optus in less than two years. In November 2023, the company was fined $18 million by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after more than 2,100 customers were unable to access triple zero during a 14-hour nationwide outage.
During that incident, Optus failed to provide emergency call access to 2,145 people and subsequently failed to conduct 369 welfare checks on customers who had attempted emergency calls. The telecommunications giant was also subjected to an 18-point improvement plan, with six recommendations still pending implementation.
The 2023 outage was so severe that then-CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigned, with current CEO Stephen Rue taking over in 2024.
Regulatory Framework and Potential Penalties
Australia’s emergency call regulations are overseen by ACMA, which has increasingly strict requirements for telecommunications providers. The regulator has developed comprehensive rules under the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019, requiring carriers to maintain robust emergency call systems and conduct immediate welfare checks when failures occur.
Recent legislative changes have significantly increased potential penalties for telecommunications breaches. Under proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Act, maximum penalties for industry code breaches could reach substantial amounts, with courts able to impose fines scaled according to provider size and financial resources.
Optus now faces potential penalties exceeding the previous $18 million fine, with industry experts suggesting this latest incident could result in even more severe financial consequences.
I have just held an emergency press conference following Optus’s late afternoon announcement regarding a 000 outage and the tragic death of two South Australians.
The South Australian Government was only made aware of these deaths after Optus’s media conference had already… pic.twitter.com/mqun7Hb7t4
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) September 19, 2025
Emergency Call Infrastructure and Safety Measures
Australia’s triple zero system is designed with multiple redundancy measures to prevent exactly this type of failure. ACMA developed enhanced rules following a 2018 triple zero outage investigation, where 1,433 emergency calls failed due to fire and network software problems.
The regulations require telecommunications carriers to implement:
- Robust backup systems for emergency calls
- Immediate customer welfare checks when failures occur
- Regular testing of emergency call infrastructure
- Seamless call diversion to other carriers during outages
Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh expressed particular concern that the triple zero “camp-on” arrangements, designed to automatically divert calls to other carriers, had also failed.
Financial Impact and Market Response
The incident represents a significant reputational and financial crisis for Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecommunications provider. The company’s parent, Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), has faced mounting pressure from investors and regulators over Optus’s repeated infrastructure failures.
Beyond immediate penalties, Optus may face:
- Civil liability claims from affected families
- Increased regulatory oversight and compliance costs
- Customer compensation requirements
- Potential class action lawsuits
The telecommunications sector has faced increasing scrutiny over infrastructure reliability, particularly following several major outages across different providers in recent years.
Industry-Wide Implications for Emergency Services
This latest failure highlights broader concerns about Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure resilience. Telco compliance with emergency call rules is now one of ACMA’s top priorities for 2024-25, following several high-profile incidents across the industry.
In December 2024, ACMA imposed a $4.5 million penalty on Telstra after 473 breaches of emergency call rules during a 90-minute disruption at its triple zero call centre. The regulator has emphasised that emergency call reliability is non-negotiable.
Industry experts are calling for mandatory infrastructure investments and enhanced backup systems across all major telecommunications providers.
Corporate Response and Future Safeguards
CEO Stephen Rue offered “sincere and heartfelt condolences” to affected families, stating “What has happened is completely unacceptable. We have let you down“. The company has launched an internal investigation while cooperating with multiple regulatory inquiries.
Optus has committed to:
- Comprehensive technical investigation of the failure
- Enhanced welfare check procedures
- Improved emergency call system redundancy
- Regular reporting to ACMA on remediation progress
However, public trust in the telecommunications provider has been severely damaged, with many customers questioning whether Optus can be relied upon for critical communications.
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Final Thoughts
The Optus network failure tragedy underscores the critical importance of reliable emergency communications infrastructure. As investigations continue, the telecommunications industry faces renewed pressure to prioritise public safety over operational efficiency, ensuring that such devastating failures never occur again.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What caused the Optus emergency call failure?
The failure occurred during a network upgrade process, though specific technical details remain under investigation.
2.How many people were affected?
Approximately 600 customers across SA, WA, and NT were potentially impacted, with three confirmed deaths.
3.What penalties could Optus face?
The company could face penalties significantly exceeding the previous $18 million fine, plus potential civil liability claims.
4.Has this happened before?
Yes, Optus experienced a similar emergency call failure in November 2023, resulting in substantial penalties and regulatory action.
