Telecommunications company Optus has disclosed it has logged at least 2697 calls to Triple Zero during its major network outage failed to connect, 10 times more when it only previously reported that only 228 customers had failed to get through to the emergency line.
Customers failed to make calls because the outage lasted 12 hours.
Australian media reported that Optus admitted further 2468 customers had been unable to connect to Triple Zero during the outage in a Senate inquiry.
Optus’ interim chief executive Michael Venter apologised to customers who did not receive a follow-up checkup from them.
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He was quoted by the media, saying: “We are writing to each customer individually to apologise for this and provide the opportunity to discuss their specific circumstances and whether there is anything we can do to assist them further.”
Last November, a government submission was lodged to probe the impact of the Optus outage, revealing two out of three federal communications department staff with Optus mobiles were also affected, and could not dial the Triple Zero on the morning of the outage.
“It was confirmed with Telstra, in its role as the Emergency Call Person under the Determination, that calls from Optus fixed line services could not access Triple Zero,” the submission read at that time. “The inability to access Triple Zero from a fixed line service when a network outage is being experienced is as expected, as the fixed line will not operate at all in this circumstance.”
Former Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin admitted she did not know why some calls failed when she faced a Senate inquiry.
Communications minister Michelle Rowland confirmed that the total number of failed calls was at least 2697.
The new figures will be sent to the Senate to update the record. The numbers were also sent to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which will also investigate Optus’ compliance with the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Provider) Determination 2019.
The rules provide that telcos are required to conduct welfare checks on people who tried and failed to call emergency services during the outage.
Optus said it will continue to cooperate with the government to find out what went wrong during the outage.
According to reports, Optus “will appoint an independent third party to undertake a review of our processes supporting our welfare check obligations.”
“This is a deeply concerning development given the critical importance of the Triple Zero service,” Rowland said.
Optus has advised “it will commence a process to contact impacted customers and the government has conveyed its expectation this occur expeditiously.”
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