Australian Government Summons Telecom Giants Over Triple Zero Service Failures

On October 6, 2025,  Australia’s Minister for Communications, Anika Wells, summoned the CEOs of Optus, Telstra, and TPG to Canberra to discuss recent failures in the Triple Zero (000) emergency service system.

On September 18, Optus experienced a major network outage, leaving over 600 Triple Zero calls from South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory unanswered, which was linked to three deaths. While Optus said it conducted an internal investigation, it has not provided specific technical explanations. ABC News also reported that other Optus users experienced Triple Zero call failures outside of September, raising public concern about service reliability.

Minister Wells strongly condemned Optus’ failures and required its parent company, Singtel, to appoint an external reviewer to oversee reform progress. She stated the failures were “completely unacceptable” and demanded systematic changes.

To strengthen emergency service oversight, the government plans to implement new regulations from November 1 requiring telecoms to report outages in real time, conduct system tests before upgrades, and prepare recovery plans. A “Triple Zero Monitor” role will also be established with powers to request information, set performance standards, and actively monitor the system.

Despite government actions, the opposition criticized the response speed, arguing earlier implementation of prior recommendations could have prevented the September failures. The government emphasized that responsibility lies with Optus and will pursue accountability based on investigation results.