Telstra told to fix triple-0 issues
TELSTRA has entered into a court-enforceable undertaking to improve its network after an investigation by the regulator found more than 1400 triple-0 calls went unconnected during an outage.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority says Telstra failed to direct 1433 emergency calls to the operator during a May 4 outage that disrupted service in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
That contravened a rule that requires providers to ensure triple-0 calls on their networks are carried to the operator.
The problem started with a fire in an interstate cable pit and was compounded by software failures.
“Triple-0 is the lifeline for Australians in life-threatening or emergency situations,” ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said.
“Community confidence in the emergency call service must be maintained.”
The ACMA has accepted a court enforceable undertaking by Telstra to improving the redundancy and diversity of its network, developing new disruption protocols, and ensuring its systems are up to international standards.
“The actions Telstra has already taken, and is undertaking, will help strengthen the emergency call service and minimise the risk of another disruption to this critical service,” Ms O’Loughlin said.