Strengthening Triple 0 System to Prevent Future Outages
Australia’s emergency hotline will be strengthened to prevent future technical problems following a significant Optus outage that left thousands of Australians unable to reach the essential service.
Approximately one third of Australians lost access to phone and internet services during a nationwide outage by the telecommunications giant in November. Moreover, thousands of emergency calls to the triple zero emergency line were unable to connect, endangering lives.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has revealed that the federal government has received a report on the disruptive outage and will begin implementing changes within the next 12 to 18 months to enhance accountability for telecommunication companies and enhance oversight of the emergency network.
“This is the largest review of the triple zero service in over a decade,” she stated in an interview with Sky News on Tuesday. “While it was unfortunate that so many tens of millions of customers were impacted—both businesses and consumers—it has provided valuable insights for the future and improvements that must be made to enhance the triple zero service.”
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As per the recommendations, the government will enforce regulations specifying how, what, and when telecommunications companies communicate with customers during and after a major outage. Additionally, a testing program will be established to ensure the emergency hotline remains functional, with carriers required to conduct testing every six months to guarantee sustained access to the emergency network.
Telecommunication companies will also be obligated to provide the regulator with a detailed plan after a major outage, outlining the steps they will take to prevent future outages. Furthermore, legislation and regulation concerning the triple zero service will be reevaluated.
“It is truly remarkable that people throughout Australia can access police, ambulance, or fire services when dialing triple zero, regardless of their location,” Ms. Rowland noted. “However, this complex system requires collaboration across various entities, which the review revealed was lacking.”
The primary cause of the triple zero issues during the outage was attributed to a lack of readiness in Optus’s 3G network, resulting in signals being shut down to allow calls to be rerouted to another network. While Optus claims to have resolved the problem, Ms. Rowland emphasizes that it exposed weaknesses in the system that the government will address by implementing all 18 recommendations outlined in the review.
