Australia Eyes Telecom Overhaul After Optus Fails Emergency Calls

Melbourne, Sep 22 (AP) – Australia is preparing to overhaul its telecommunications industry after Optus, a major telecom company, failed to connect hundreds of emergency calls last week, potentially leading to four deaths. Australians use the number “0-0-0” for emergencies, unlike the “9-1-1” system in the United States. Last Thursday, a “technical failure” at Optus resulted in 624 emergency calls failing to connect, with fatalities reported in four cases.

Previously, Optus faced a fine exceeding 12 million Australian dollars (approximately $8 million) for not adhering to emergency call protocols during a network outage on November 8, 2023. Similarly, Telstra, Australia's largest telecom company, was fined AU$3 million ($2 million) last December due to a failure to meet emergency call obligations during a disruption at its “0-0-0” call centre.

Communications Minister Anika Wells announced that the Australian Communications and Media Authority, serving as the industry watchdog, is investigating the incident from last week. “Optus and all telecommunications providers are mandated by Australian law to ensure that emergency calls are completed,” Wells informed reporters. “Our response is critical, but the repercussions will be felt across Telstra and the broader telecommunications sector. Optus will face accountability for this lapse,” she asserted.

Optus CEO, Stephen Rue, part of Singtel, a telecom entity owned by the Singapore government, expressed his apology for the failure. “I want to extend my sincerest condolences for the tragic loss of four lives, who could not contact emergency services when they needed it most,” Rue stated on Sunday.

“Initial reports suggest that set protocols were not adhered to,” Rue added. The call failures spanned the Northern Territory and the states of Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales.

Among the victims, a 74-year-old man and a 49-year-old man died in Perth, the Western Australian capital, while a 68-year-old woman and an 8-week-old boy lost their lives in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. South Australia Police indicated the outage was “unlikely” to have impacted the boy’s death, as his grandmother promptly used a different phone to contact emergency services following the failure of her Optus phone.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expects Optus to reassess its leadership, including the potential replacement of its CEO. “A comprehensive investigation will be conducted. Clearly, Optus' actions have been unacceptable. This message has been unequivocally communicated,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. while attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. (AP) SKS SKS

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