Australia's telecommunications giant, Optus, is facing intense scrutiny following a tragic outage linked to four deaths, including that of an eight-week-old infant, due to its failure to reach emergency services. Reports reveal that Optus sent critical emails about the incident to incorrect email addresses, resulting in unread notifications for over a day, as confirmed during parliamentary hearings.
The outage, which took place on September 18, was initially misrepresented by Optus. While the company communicated that only ten calls were affected, it was discovered that more than 600 emergency calls had been unsuccessful over a span of 13 hours. Authorities did not become aware of the crisis until the following afternoon, more than 36 hours after it had started.
Deputy Secretary for Communications, James Chisholm, addressed the errors in communication in parliament, stating that the emails were sent to a previously-used address that had been changed only a week prior to the outage, despite telcos being notified two weeks ahead of the switch. Senators pressed for solutions, particularly regarding the absence of automated responses to inform senders about the address change.
The incident has prompted an examination of Optus' compliance with regulations requiring telecommunication companies to reroute emergency calls during outages. In light of the oversight, an investigation is now being led by Australia's media regulator into whether Optus violated any laws.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who was in Australia during the fallout, expressed condolences for the victims and emphasized the responsibility of corporations to adhere to laws and cooperate with investigations. The unfolding situation further complicates matters for Optus, which has faced criticism over prior incidents, including a major cyberattack in 2022 that compromised customer data.
Following public outcry, calls for accountability have intensified, with some lawmakers demanding the removal of Optus' operating license and inciting speculation around the potential resignation of CEO Stephen Rue amid mounting pressure.
