Optus Faces Backlash After Nationwide Outage Blocks Emergency Calls, Linked to Multiple Deaths
Outage Leaves Australians Without Emergency Access for 13 Hours
Australian authorities have vowed “significant consequences” for Optus after a major systems outage left millions of people unable to reach emergency services for more than 13 hours, with the failure linked to several deaths.
The nationwide disruption, which struck last week, saw over 600 calls to triple-0 (000) fail, affecting residents across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Emergency calls from parts of New South Wales also went unanswered.
Optus, one of the country’s two largest telecom providers, later confirmed that at least three people had died during the outage, including a baby boy. Authorities in Western Australia have since said they believe a fourth death may also be connected.
Optus Apologizes but Faces Heavy Criticism
Optus CEO Stephen Rue issued a public apology, describing the failure as “completely unacceptable.” He confirmed that welfare checks carried out after services were restored revealed the tragic deaths.
“I want to reiterate how deeply sorry I am about the loss of life for those who could not reach emergency services in their time of need,” Rue said on Sunday. “We are taking immediate action to ensure this never happens again.”
Despite the apology, the company has come under fire for its delayed response and poor communication. Optus waited 40 hours before informing the public and failed to notify regulators until the issue was resolved — a breach of standard industry practice, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Cause of the Outage and Regulatory Investigation
Rue attributed the outage to a technical fault during a network upgrade, admitting that Optus was unaware of the disruption for 13 hours. Customer complaints during the downtime were not escalated or handled properly.
The ACMA said it is “deeply concerned” about both the outage and the company’s mishandling of the crisis.
“Access to emergency services is the most fundamental responsibility of every telecom provider,” a spokesperson said.
This is not the first time Optus has faced scrutiny. In 2023, the company failed to provide emergency access to more than 2,100 people during a separate outage and was hit with over A$12 million in penalties.
Government Response and Calls for Accountability
Communications Minister Anika Wells expressed outrage, saying there is “no excuse” for emergency call failures. She confirmed she had personally spoken with Rue, voicing her “unbelievable disappointment.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in, suggesting the Optus CEO should consider resigning.
“The company has once again delivered an enormous failure to the Australian people,” Wells said. “There will be significant consequences.”
What Happens Next?
Investigations are ongoing, with Optus pledging daily updates as more details emerge. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the telecom giant to restore public trust and guarantee uninterrupted access to triple-0, which remains the lifeline for millions of Australians in emergencies.