URGENT UPDATE: A devastating network failure at Optus has resulted in the tragic deaths of three individuals, including an eight-week-old boy, after a botched upgrade prevented emergency calls to triple-zero. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, has prompted immediate outrage as the telco faces potential multi-million dollar fines and legal repercussions.
The outage impacted up to 600 households across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. In a shocking confirmation, Optus CEO Stephen Rue disclosed that at least three customers lost their lives due to their inability to contact emergency services. Among the deceased are an eight-week-old boy from Gawler, South Australia, and a 68-year-old woman from the Queenstown suburb of Adelaide.
Communications Minister Anika Wells condemned the incident as “incredibly serious and completely unacceptable,” expressing her condolences to the families affected. She stated, “The impact of this failure has had tragic consequences,” emphasizing that all telecommunications providers are required to ensure access to emergency services. An investigation into the outage is underway, and authorities are conducting welfare checks for those affected.
Following the incident, Rue announced that the technical problem has been resolved and an internal investigation has commenced. “I offer my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the people who passed away,” Rue said at a press conference late Friday. He acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “What has happened is completely unacceptable. We have let you down.”
The timing of this incident is particularly alarming, as it comes nearly two years after Optus suffered a major outage in November 2023, which left over 10 million customers disconnected for more than 16 hours. That incident resulted in a fine exceeding $12 million for breaching emergency call protocols.
This latest failure raises serious concerns about Optus’s reliability, especially regarding emergency call systems. Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh voiced her deep concern about the failure of alternate call arrangements that should have redirected emergency calls to other carriers.
As the public awaits further details, Optus is under scrutiny from both regulatory authorities and the community. The full extent of the outage’s duration and its ramifications will be disclosed once the investigation is completed. For now, the focus remains on the families affected by this tragedy and the urgent need for accountability in ensuring that emergency services remain accessible to all Australians.
