General photo of an Optus store in Melbourne, Australia. Source: AAP Image/Luis Ascui.
Small businesses rattled by Wednesday’s massive Optus network outage should hold on to their receipts, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says, as mobile and internet services gradually return.
Millions of Optus customers were severed from their phone and internet connection in one of the nation’s most significant telecommunications outages, including businesses opening for mid-week trade.
Although banks including CBA said their merchant terminals were unaffected by the outage, many businesses across Australia say could not process sales, while others have announced their closure until services resume.
La Familia, an Italian restaurant in Maryborough, Queensland, today told customers the Optus outage forced them to cease trading for the day.
“We are unable to open as our food deliveries won’t be coming today as the orders did not go through among a multitude of other issues caused by this outage,” the restaurant announced on social media.
Backdropped by the countless business customers whose operations have been restricted by the outage, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has advised affected businesses to hold on to their receipts.
Customers who have contacted Optus and are unsatisfied with the response can file a complaint with the Ombudsman.
Addressing the media at 11am, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland reiterated that traders should maintain a paper trail while services are offline.
“I note the comments by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman that at this time it is probably too early to be discussing or giving definitive views about compensation or other consumer rights,” Rowland said.
“But I do reiterate the statement of the TIO that it is important, especially for small businesses, to keep receipts so that any recourse and any redress that may be available to them has that evidentiary base.”
Optus advised that some fixed line and mobile services returned after midday, but it may take several hours before services are fully restored.
The cause of the outage is yet to be identified.