Australia’s second-largest telecom provider, Optus, is under intense scrutiny following a 13-hour network outage that disrupted emergency call services, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including an eight-week-old baby.
The outage, triggered by a technical failure during a firewall upgrade, began at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and lasted until 1:30 p.m.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the Australian government labeling it “completely unacceptable” and vowing to investigate.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will lead a probe into the outage, which affected up to 600 customers across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Optus CEO Stephen Rue confirmed the company was notified of the issue by South Australia police and halted the upgrade to restore services.
Despite two customers reporting failed triple zero calls during the outage, these complaints were not escalated promptly, raising concerns about internal processes.
Rue expressed regret, stating the company is conducting a thorough investigation and will share results publicly.
Optus initiated welfare checks for affected customers, completing the process or handing unresolved cases to police.
The deaths included an eight-week-old boy and a 68-year-old woman in South Australia, and two men, aged 74 and another individual, in Western Australia.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas criticized Optus for delayed communication, noting that police were not informed until after the company’s press conference.
This incident follows Optus’s troubled history, including a 2022 cyberattack and a 2023 outage that led to a A$12 million fine and the resignation of its former CEO.