Telstra Confirms Mail Services Restored
Telstra confirmed that an outage affecting BigPond and Telstra Mail has been resolved, with the issue beginning on Monday afternoon and leaving many users unable to access their emails, while services returned just before 7:00 pm AEST on Monday night according to a company update posted at 7:50 am AEST on Tuesday morning.
Figure 1: Telstra confirmed the resolving of issues through X post
Customers Urged to Reset Passwords
Telstra said some customers using third-party apps like Outlook may still face login issues, adding in its update that “In most cases, resetting your password should fix things for you,” and encouraging users to contact support through the My Telstra app or website if issues persist.
Figure 2: Resetting your password should fix the issues, confirmed by Telstra on X
Initial Outage Notifications
Telstra first notified customers of the outage on X at about 3:00 pm on Monday, posting “We’ve picked up an issue affecting some customers trying to access their BigPond/Telstra Mail via the web,” and adding, “Our team’s on it, and we hope to have you back in your inbox soon,” while suggesting that using an app like Outlook might help in the meantime.
⚠ We’ve picked up an issue affecting some customers trying to access their BigPond/Telstra Mail via the web.
Our team’s on it, and we hope to have you back in your inbox soon. Using an app to access your mailbox (Outlook) may help in the meantime.
Thanks for your patience.
— Telstra (@Telstra) April 28, 2025
Telstra’s Response to Ongoing Problems
A Telstra spokesperson confirmed that mail services resumed before 7:00 pm Monday night, saying, “We have seen some customers using third party apps like Outlook facing issues logging in,” and adding, “In many of these cases, a password reset has fixed the issue,” while also confirming that the company would continue to monitor and investigate any remaining issues, with support available via phone or message in the My Telstra app or website.
Impact on Businesses and Customers
Phillip, a transport business owner, shared his experience with 2GB radio on Tuesday morning, saying “I couldn’t get on, I’m obviously a business owner,” and explaining, “I rang them, I was on hold for over an hour and thirty minutes to get through to somebody,” before stating that Telstra told him, “oh sorry we haven’t updated google to let you people know it’s been down but we’re working on it,” and adding, “That’s all I got out of them that was it. And it’s still not working this morning,” while describing that he could not send invoices or conduct normal business activities and saying, “I’m in a jam, I’m stuck.”
Figure 3: Customers are furious at Telstra
Telstra Addresses Customer Frustrations
Thousands of users reported issues on DownDetector starting around 2:00pm AEST Monday, with reports peaking at nearly 2,300 complaints within three hours, while most problems centred around email logins and app usage, and Telstra reiterated its teams were working to fix the issue.
Steps for Customers to Regain Access
Telstra advised users to reset their passwords as a first step to regain email access, stating, “As a first step, we recommend attempting to reset your password and then accessing your account using webmail,” and adding, “If this isn’t successful, please reach out to us by calling or messaging us via the My Telstra app or website.”
Webmail Preferred Over Third-Party Apps
Telstra warned customers that third-party apps like Outlook might still cause login troubles, noting, “You may run into trouble signing in if you’re using a third-party app like Outlook instead of webmail.”
Customer Reactions Across the Country
Many customers voiced their frustrations on social media throughout the outage, with one user writing, “Been sending me crazy all day,” and another sharing, “Went into webmail, cleared all mail then couldn’t send or receive,” while adding, “Earlier notice would have been helpful. Now can’t access at all,” and another saying, “I’m still having issues trying to get back on,” explaining, “Tried changing password and not sure if I have done it correctly,” while one user added, “I am getting a message saying my password has been changed and to enter my new password. I certainly haven’t changed anything, so I’m not willing to enter anything.”
No Compensation for Affected Users
One customer asked Telstra about compensation for the outage but the telco clarified that compensation would not be provided.
