‘Massive failure’: Unions blast Telstra outage months after axing hundreds of jobs

A Liberal senator claims a person has died after an apparent failure to connect to triple-0 during Telstra’s nationwide outage, as the telco admitted the emergency call impact was more serious than first thought.

South Australian senator Kerrynne Liddle said her office had received a report that an elderly South Australian died after allegedly being unable to call for help during Wednesday’s outage.

“My office has received a report of a tragic death following an apparent failure to connect to triple-0 during a life-or-death emergency amid Telstra’s nationwide outage today,” Ms Liddle posted on social media.

However, South Australia Police said they were not aware of any death in the state on Wednesday as a result of the Telstra nationwide outage.

The claim emerged after Telstra revealed it had carried out 333 welfare checks linked to unsuccessful or dropped triple-0 calls, with chief financial officer Michael Ackland stating the issue was “more significant” than first understood.

Mr Ackland, who fronted media in place of chief executive Vicki Brady while she was overseas with her family, said Telstra had restored all remaining services by 4pm, although some devices might still need to be restarted to reconnect.

He said Ms Brady was working to return by Friday.

Telstra had been blasted for the nationwide outage, which impacted millions of Australians, with a union pointing the finger at the telco for “decimating” its workforce and describing the outage as a “massive failure”.

The telco apologised for Wednesday’s national network outage, which affected mobile phone and internet users and disrupted triple-0 calls and public transport systems.

Mr Ackland said Telstra was still investigating the root cause, but was “confident” it had identified a software defect and had isolated it.

“I want to be clear this was not the result of a cyber incident,” Mr Ackland said.

Mr Ackland said there had been “an update to the service” which affected a GPS node and caused time desynchronisation across parts of the network.

“That is the current understanding … there was a software fault that caused the GPS node to reset, which changed the time and caused the time desynchronisation,” he said.

He stopped short of calling it human error, stating only that “there is something in our process that we need to fix and change”.

In the clearest sign yet of the outage’s emergency impact, Mr Ackland said Telstra had completed 333 welfare checks after unsuccessful or dropped triple-0 calls were identified.

He said 138 customers responded to an SMS advising they did not need help, while Telstra then phoned the remaining 189 people.

Of those, 110 said they did not need assistance, six needed emergency help and were connected immediately, and 79 could not be reached and were referred to police for physical welfare checks.

“The volume of these welfare checks was higher than we expected, and it has prompted us to investigate further,” Mr Ackland said.

He said some phones had failed to connect properly on the first call attempt, while some calls had been successfully picked up by the Optus and TPG networks under back-up arrangements, but conceded “some didn’t”.

Mr Ackland also said the figures were likely inflated by members of the public testing triple-0 during the outage.

Asked if the triple-0 impact was worse than Telstra had indicated earlier in the day, Mr Ackland said: “Yes, definitely. The situation changed as we went through the day and that’s why we were investigating those welfare calls this morning.”

“We let customers down today in their hour of need,” he added.

“There is absolutely no doubt we have created a level of anxiety with customers in their hour of need today. That is not acceptable.”

Queensland Police said that, as of 5.50pm on Wednesday, 17 people in Queensland who tried to call triple-0 during the outage were not connected.

They said details of the failed calls were being provided by the telecommunications provider to Policelink for welfare checks, while stressing the state’s triple-0 service remained operational.

Communication Workers Union national secretary Shane Murphy said Telstra’s sacking of hundreds of its workforce over the past 12 months contributed to the chaos.

“While we are pleased to see most of the network come back online relatively quickly, this outage impacted everyone and caused massive disruptions and serious knock-on effects,” he said.

“Triple-0 calls had to be diverted. Small business owners were unable to use eftpos terminals for trade. Australia Post workers were unable to use their scanners to deliver parcels. Regional trains had to suspend services. This is all because of a massive failure of Telstra’s network.”

Mr Murphy said the telco’s decision to cut hundreds of jobs earlier in the year led to an “unreliable network”.

In February, the telco announced 650 jobs were on the chopping block or being outsourced to Indian firm Infosys, eight months after axing 550 other roles.

“This is what happens when you prioritise the bottom line over critical services; you get an unreliable network that lets Australians down time and time again,” Mr Murphy said.

“It is disgraceful to see one of the nation’s largest carr

iers make shocking cuts to its workforce – the individuals who keep us connected – and witness the detrimental impact on the quality of services.”

Mr Murphy said the outage should be seen as a “warning flare” for the telco and urged it to reinvest in the Australian workforce.

“Telstra needs to own up to its mistakes and do better. This cannot happen again; the consequences are far too great,” he said.

“Telstra exists to connect Australians to the essential services they rely on – not to line the pockets of its executives.”

Mr Ackland also warned customers to be alert for scam calls from people pretending to be Telstra in the wake of the outage.

“If you get a call from someone claiming to be Telstra asking you for details in light of today’s outage, please hang up and call us back directly,” he said.

He apologised for the disruption the outage caused.

“We know customers rely on our connectivity, it has been a big disruption to many people’s days,” he said.

“We apologise for that.”

“I believe Australia can absolutely have faith in its biggest telco, and that is Telstra,” Mr Ackland said.

“We take these outages very, very seriously.

“Our investment in resilience and cybersecurity and redundancy in our network is significant, but it is a big and complex network, and from time to time, issues do occur.”

An Australian Communications and Media Authority spokesman said Telstra advised them about an “issue causing intermittent disruptions to voice and data services across its network”.

“The ACMA has been actively engaging with a range of stakeholders, including the triple-0 custodian and Telstra in its capacity as both the network provider and the Emergency Call Person,” they said.

ACMA is opening an investigation into whether Telstra complied with its regulatory obligations.

Hundreds of users also reported issues with Boost Mobile, Aldi, Tangerine, Everyday Mobile, and Belong, which operate on the Telstra network.

Telstra was fined $3m in late 2024 after a lengthy investigation into a similar outage in March of that year.

The outage prevented customers from calling triple-0 due to an automated systems failure.

The telecommunications watchdog found 473 breaches of emergency call rules, highlighting that Telstra’s backup phone list contained incorrect numbers, which stopped 127 calls from connecting properly.

Telstra subsequently updated its processes and committed to an independent review.

Triple 0 ‘prank’ calls slammed after outage

Earlier, the Albanese government has urged people not to test Triple-0, with the minister in charge of emergency management slamming a Liberal senator for making a “prank” call.

Opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said on Wednesday she had made several test calls to see if the system was working.

Fronting a snap press conference on Wednesday after cutting her leave short, Communications Minister Anika Wells said it was “important that people do not test call to Triple-0”.

“Please only call Triple 0 if it is an emergency,” she told reporters alongside Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain in Canberra.

Ms McBain echoed her colleague, saying the “last thing we need is anyone making test calls to Triple 0”.

“We teach our kids not to prank call Triple 0 and I think it is absolutely outrageous that the shadow communications minister has been making test calls to Triple 0 at a time where we need to make sure that we are doing as many welfare check as possible and making sure that that network is open to people in emergency situations.”

‘Deeply concerning’: Albo

Anthony Albanese said the government was working Telstra, with the triple-0 custodian “in constant contact” with the telco and emergency services.

“This is deeply concerning, and it is very disruptive to people’s lives throughout the country,” the Prime Minister said.

“At this stage, what Telstra have indicated to the government is that … there is no evidence of (the outage) being malicious,” he said.

“But those investigations are under way.”

Mr Albanese said the outage was “unacceptable” and “disruptive”.

“No one wants to see that occur,” he said.

He said the government had introduced measures to prevent telco outages from impacting triple-0 calls, including “raising penalties for telcos” and introducing “real-time reporting of outages” to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

“We’ve also forced telcos to test triple-0 during upgrades, but also place new requirements on providers to ensure triple-0 calls still connect with other networks,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the government would continue to engage “proactively” with the telco.

“I think people are entitled to get answers, and they also want answers that are accurate – and those investigations are ongoing,” he said.

NewsWire understands Communications Minister Anika Wells was holidaying in the country and is returning to Canberra.

She said the outage had “caused significant disruptions across the country” and some triple-0 calls had been affected

“Telstra has advised that 90 per cent of affected services have been restored, however, we understand that some intermittent issues persist,” Ms Wells said in a statement.

“The core triple-0 system remains operational, with connected calls flowing as expected from carrier networks to the emergency call person (ECP), and on to state and territory emergency services dispatchers.

“However, the triple-0 custodian has advised that some callers were unable to connect to the ECP, and that these are being investigated by Telstra.”

She said all telcos had strict requirements in relation to welfare checks for disconnected triple-0 calls, and the triple-0 custodian was in regular communication with Telstra to receive updates on the progress and outcomes of these checks.

She urged people not to make test calls to triple-0

“If you need to call triple-0 and can’t get through, it is recommended that you use another device, a landline or wi-fi calling,” Ms Wells said.

“It is very important that people do not make ‘test’ calls to triple-0 – please only call triple-0 if there is an emergency.

“The key priorities for today are to get people back online and ensure any welfare checks are completed urgently.”

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will then conduct a full investigation, and Telstra will need to account for how and why this outage occurred.

In an earlier statement, a government spokesman said they were aware of the outage and its impact on Victoria’s V/Line train service.

“We understand Telstra is working on resolving the issue, and arrangements are being made for affected rail passengers,” they said.

“Like all telcos, Telstra must notify customers and emergency services of any major outage.

“Australian phones are also required to fall back to other networks for triple-0 access.”

Opposition demands minister cuts leave short

Earlier, Angus Taylor said Ms Wells should “absolutely” cut her break short to deal with the outage.

Fronting a press conference in Darwin, the Opposition Leader said he, “like so many Australians this morning, was on my phone trying to work out what was going on with no answers”.

“We keep seeing this minister fail,” he said.

“She failed last time. She didn’t front up. She didn’t actually explain to Australians in a timely way what was going on.

“It’s time for her to get real and explain to Australians what has happened.”

Mr Taylor also said the government needed to clarify if there was a link to China, which has long-targeted Australia’s critical infrastructure.

“We saw a provocative and unwelcome missile launch from the (People’s Liberation Army) … and I can understand why Australians are drawing that connection now,” he said.

“I don’t know whether there’s any connection — I have no idea. But it’s no wonder Australians are starting to ask questions like that, including questions about Triple 0 and what’s going on there.”

One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce earlier on Wednesday called for an investigation into whether China was behind the outage following this week’s missile test.

He said he hoped “it’s just a coincidence about the intercontinental ballistic missile that went into the Pacific” but that “it’s an issue that needs to be cleared up”.

“I don’t want to be paranoid or conspiracy theorist, but we know there is the capacity for … China to affect that sort of software and that sort of network, and I hope that that’s investigated and cleared as not part of the process,” Mr Joyce told Sky News.

Telstra sells off following announcement

Shares in Telstra have dropped sharply during early morning trading on Wednesday, as the telecommunications giant works through a national outage.

At the start of the day’s trading, Telstra shares fell 2.8 per cent to $4.93.

Telstra’s fall follows a weak start to trading as the benchmark ASX 200 tumbled 1.1 per cent, 92.10 points or 1.1 per cent to 8711.80, with eight of the 11 sectors in the red.

Triple-0 calls affected

The Telstra outage is now affecting triple-0 calls for residents in Western Australia and South Australia, police have confirmed.

WA Police say the outage is impacting customers’ ability to make triple-0 calls from Telstra services.

“If you have a vulnerable family member, friend, neighbour or co-worker, consider offering support during the service disruption,” a statement read.

“If you are affected and do not have access to an alternative mobile or landline service, police recommend making arrangements with a neighbour, family member, or friend so you can access a working telephone in an emergency.”

WA Police said its police communications were unaffected.

A SA Police spokesman said some triple-0 calls were being impacted by the outage.

“A Telstra outage is currently affecting customers nationwide, impacting their ability to make phone calls, including calls to triple-0 from Telstra services,” they told NewsWire.

“If you have a vulnerable family member, friend, neighbour or co-worker, consider offering support during the service disruption.”

NSW Police said the outage was “affecting some network devices” but confirmed it was not affecting triple-0 calls.

“Triple-0 systems are not affected, but you may not be able to reach triple-0 if you are calling from a Telstra device,” a spokesman said

“If you try to call triple-0 and can’t get through, we recommend using another device, a landline or wi-fi calling.”

Eftpos payments hit

Payments app Tyro, which reportedly services the eftpos terminals of about 80,000 businesses, has been impacted by the outage.

“Tyro is aware that some customers may currently be unable to connect their eftpos machines to the 4G network to process transactions,” a Tyro spokesman told NewsWire.

“We understand this is related to an issue with a national telephone network provider.

“While the issue is outside Tyro’s control, we are actively monitoring the situation and are advising affected customers to connect via ethernet or wi-fi where available until service is restored.”

Telstra has confirmed they are aware of an outage affecting “some mobile calls and data connections” and said they would keep customers updated.

Commonwealth Bank is also affected by the outage, with some customers unable to connect their merchant terminals.

“CommBank terminals can switch between network providers,” a statement on the website read.

“Customers who are experiencing issues using the Telstra network can switch to Optus or use wi-fi where available.”

Outage causes commuter chaos

The network outage is causing chaos for commuters in parts of NSW and Victoria.

Victorian regional train service V/Line says all services are currently unable to operate due to the national outage.

“There is no estimated time for rectification at this stage. Passengers are advised to defer travel where possible,” a notice read.

An earlier alert from V/Line said “very limited” coach replacement services would be available.

Train commuters in Melbourne took to Reddit to complain of being stuck in carriages.

“Signal is very intermittent at the moment,” one commuter posted.

“I’m also stuck on V/Line train in Victoria and we can’t move due to no radio signal”.

Others reported replacement buses could not be contacted due to the outage.

“Not only is the entire VLine network down but it sounds like they are unable to contact bus companies as they were supposed to start announcing replacement services 30 minutes ago,” another commuter posted just after 7am.

An alert from Transport for NSW says an “external communication issue” means trains are not running along the Southern Highlands Line, between Campbeltown in western Sydney and Moss Vale.

“Bus companies are being contacted to provide a replacement service between Moss Vale and Campbelltown, however none are available right now,” the official alert says.

The Hunter Line between Newcastle and Maitland is also out.

“Replacement buses are being organised but are not yet on site. Passengers are advised to delay travel or make alternative travel arrangements,” an alert read.

NewsWire has contacted every state’s public transport department for comment.

The outage has also impacted some residents’ ability to leave for work.

“My car is locked in the garage. I can’t make calls to open the gate,” one person wrote.

“Missing work today.”

Uber passengers have also been hit by the outages.

“We are aware of the ongoing outages affecting the Telstra mobile network and services that rely on it,” an Uber spokesman told NewsWire.

“This is impacting some merchants, delivery people and driver partners who use the Telstra network.

“We are monitoring the situation and awaiting updates from Telstra as they work to resolve the issue.”

A Melbourne resident, who lives with a disability, said they had to rely on a stranger’s phone to call for a taxi on Wednesday morning.

“I usually use Uber but my phone which is Telstra was not working and still is not, this is unacceptable,,” the 28-year-old wrote online.

EV charging network company Chargefox confirmed a “small number” of its public chargers were affected.

“Chargefox is impacted by the ongoing mobile data outage,” a website statement read.

“The issue is with the provider. As a result, a small number of our public chargers may be unavailable whilst the outage continues.”

‘Nightmare’ for workers

Carpenter Joe Shearer, 25, is with the JB Hi-Fi network that operates through Telstra and said the outage had made organising his site for the day a nightmare.

“Telstra’s supposed to be the best,” he said.

“I pay good money for this service just for their network to crash on a Wednesday.

“I’ve trusted Telstra through and through and then they pull this bulls--t.”

Joe said he been unable to determine who had or hadn’t called him.

“I’m running the site where I’m the main form of contact, whether that be for a delivery or a tradesperson.

“But if someone was to injure themselves how am I able to call people”

“I came from Vodafone, and I’m not going back, but this an insult.”

Cafe Fat Thaiger in Haymarket, Sydney was operating cash only and offering regular customers the option to pay on Wednesday when the network is back online.

“Almost none of the regulars came in today,” a worker said.

“And the ones that did said ‘oh my phone is not working’ because they didn’t realise about the outage.”

“Very few people carry cash, it’s a big inconvenience.”

They said it had been a long time since the last outage, but that there was very little they were able to do from their end.

Former Panthers and NSW State of Origin star Luke Lewis told of how he was forced to leave his mobile phone number with a cab driver after being unable to pay his taxi fare.

Lewis caught a taxi to Sydney Airport as he made his way to Brisbane for Wednesday night’s Origin decider.

“It’s been a little bit crazy. Even on the way here, the taxis today, their internet’s not working,” the ABC commentator told ABC Breakfast host Catherine Murphy.

“I had to give (the taxi driver) my number, I said … just send it to me, and I’ll fix it up later.”

Customers troll Telstra

Impacted customers have taken to Telstra’s social media pages to vent their frustrations, trolling the telco.

“Congratulations, Telstra, Imagine being Australia’s biggest telco and getting beaten by two tin cans connected to a piece of string,” Matty Taylor posted on Telstra’s official Facebook page.

“I love that we all had our billing price increased in May this year to “improve network performance, reliability and security,” Morghan McIntyre posted.

“Good job Telstra, You had 1 job”.

Customers have shared their experiences throughout Wednesday morning, reporting services down in every city across the country, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide.

“Anyone having issues with Telstra’s mobile data this morning?” one person asked.

“Out in Canberra,” a resident wrote.

“Central Queensland appears to be out as well,” said another.

A Telstra spokesman confirmed they were “looking into an issue affecting some mobile calls and data connections”.

“If you’re having trouble connecting, try again as it may work on a retry,” they told NewsWire.

“We’re on it and will share an update as soon as it’s fixed. Thanks for sticking with us.”