Optus Fined $12 Million After Outage Blocks Emergency Access for Thousands

Published on November 8, 2024

Telecom giant Optus has been fined over $12 million (US$8 million) after an investigation revealed it failed to meet emergency call service requirements during a nationwide outage last year on Nov. 8, leaving more than 2,100 people unable to access emergency assistance. The investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) claims significant failures in Optus’ handling of the incident. During the outage, 2,145 calls to Triple Zero failed to connect, and 369 welfare checks on individuals who had attempted to call for help were not conducted. “When an emergency call fails to connect, there can be devastating consequences for public health and safety,” said ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin, emphasising the severity of the breach....

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