Key Points
- Optus has reviewed calls that were unable to connect to Triple Zero during the network’s 8 November outage.
- The review found an additional 2,468 customers whose calls failed and for whom a welfare check was not undertaken.
- Former CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin told the Senate in November that 228 calls were unable to be connected.
More than 2,000 Triple Zero calls were unanswered and not followed up by Optus at the telco on 8 November, it has been revealed.
Former CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin told the Senate in November that 228 calls were unable to be connected when millions of Australians suffered an outage for almost 14 hours.
But the company updated the numbers on Tuesday, saying there were “an additional 2,468 customers that made Triple Zero calls from our network that did not reach the Emergency Service Centre and for which a welfare check was not undertaken”.
Optus interim CEO Michael Venter said: “I offer my deepest apologies to all those customers who were unable to access Triple Zero services during the outage and did not receive a follow-up check from us”.
“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.”
The revised numbers were a “deeply concerning development” given the critical importance of the emergency service, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said.
“Today, Optus advised the government that information it previously provided to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the Senate and the public about the number of unsuccessful triple-zero calls from mobiles during its nationwide outage on 8 November 2023 was not accurate,” she said on Tuesday.
More than 10 million Optus customers were without phone and internet access for up to 14 hours during the outage.
The telco blamed a software upgrade for the network breakdown, while the fallout triggered the resignation of Rosmarin.
The new information will be considered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority as part of its independent investigation into Optus’ compliance with rules on emergency calls.
The rules cover obligations such as conducting welfare checks on people making unsuccessful emergency calls during an outage and providing access to emergency call services.
Compensation for impacted customers and ensuring confidence in the triple zero system will also be explored in the federal probe.
Ms Rowland said Optus would begin contacting affected customers.
