Optus faced another network disruption recently, affecting about 14,000 customers in southeast Melbourne. This outage was a result of an “aerial fibre break,” attributed to copper thieves targeting local underground access chambers. Optus spokesperson Jane McNamara stated on ABC Radio Melbourne, “We do have that photo evidence and it’s clear that there had been a cut made… We know copper has been removed from the pit, and we have contacted police.”
The fibre cut left many users without mobile service, disrupting their ability to connect with even emergency services. Optus warned that only those within range of another mobile network, or with WiFi access, could call emergency numbers during the outage. Fortunately, full services have been restored, and emergency services have reported no missed calls during this time.
This incident adds to a challenging period for Optus. The company dealt with multiple significant outages this year, with an earlier event in September stranding 631 people without emergency services. Sadly, four deaths were linked to these interruptions.
These repeated failures led some political figures to advocate for a review of Optus’s operating licence. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, the Greens’ communication spokesperson, and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into emergency services outages, emphasized the urgency of reviewing Optus’ licence. She said, “They are clearly not capable of providing this essential service and keeping Australians safe.”
As of now, the government hasn’t initiated a formal license review. However, it plans to establish an independent entity, the ‘Triple Zero Custodian,’ to manage Australia’s emergency call services. Additionally, stricter fines are anticipated to ensure reliability.
Through these efforts, the government aims to improve the resilience of essential telecommunications infrastructure and ensure citizens’ safety. Meanwhile, the industry awaits further developments regarding potential changes in Optus’ licensing and regulatory guidelines.
