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Three people died after a technical failure during an Optus network upgrade prevented emergency calls from connecting across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the telecommunications company confirmed today.
Optus Chief Executive Officer Stephen Rue announced the deaths during an emergency press conference, revealing that approximately 600 customers were potentially impacted when triple zero calls failed to go through following yesterday's network upgrade.
"I have been advised that during the process of conducting welfare checks, three of the triple zero calls involved households where a person tragically passed away," Rue said. "I want to offer a sincere apology to all customers who could not connect to emergency services when they needed them most."
The deaths occurred in households where people attempted to call emergency services but could not connect due to the network failure. Two deaths were recorded in South Australia and one in Western Australia, according to Rue.
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Previous Failures Raise Accountability Questions
The incident marks the second major emergency services disruption by Optus in recent years, following a 2024 network failure that resulted in a $12 million penalty from federal regulators.
When questioned about the repeated failures, Roo acknowledged the frustration but declined to provide specific details about the technical cause.
"I share your frustration. This should not have happened," he said. "We're doing a thorough investigation, I can assure you."
Journalists pressed Rue on promises made after the 2024 incident that such failures would not recur.
"You back then said it would never happen again. Federal government said it would never happen again. And it's happened again," one reporter stated.
Welfare Checks Reveal Tragic Impact
Optus conducted welfare checks on all 600 affected customers throughout the day, completing the process before Roo's 5:45 pm press conference. The welfare checks were required for each customer whose emergency call potentially failed to connect.
"The welfare checks are required for each customer," Rue confirmed when asked about the scope of the investigation.
The CEO repeatedly declined to provide specific details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths or the exact nature of the emergency calls, stating that facts would be made public once the investigation concludes.
"Once again, when we have established all the facts, the facts will be made public," Rue said when pressed for details about what happened when people attempted to call for help.
Technical Failure Details
The network failure occurred during a routine upgrade process, affecting only emergency services calls while allowing normal phone calls between customers to continue functioning.
"Normal calls were going through but triple zero calls were impacted in South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory," Rue explained.
The selective impact of the failure particularly frustrated investigators and media, with one journalist noting: "That must be frustrating if people can make normal calls between people, but they can't get under triple zero."
Rue confirmed this assessment, stating: "That's correct. So the normal calls were going through, but triple zero calls were impacted."
The technical failure has since been rectified, according to Optus statements.
Investigation and Regulatory Response
Optus has commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incident, with Rue promising full transparency and cooperation with government agencies and regulatory bodies.
"What has happened is completely unacceptable. We have let you down," he said. "You have my assurance that we are conducting a thorough investigation. And once concluded, we will share the facts of the incident publicly."
The company will cooperate with all relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies during the investigation process.
Rue declined to speculate about the technical cause of the failure, stating: "The facts are still being established, and as I said, once they are established, we will make them public."
Geographic Impact Pattern
The failure's geographic distribution raises questions about network architecture and backup systems. The outage affected three states and territories in western and central Australia but did not impact New South Wales, Queensland or Victoria.
When asked why certain states were unaffected, Roo indicated this related to the specific nature of the network upgrade being conducted.
"It would have related to the network, the particular network upgrade that was being done," he said, adding that the investigation would examine the geographic pattern.
Corporate Leadership Under Pressure
Rue, who is relatively new to the CEO position, faced questions about his leadership during the crisis. When asked about his future with the company, he redirected focus to the human impact.
"Today is not about me. Today is about the people who lost their lives," he said.
Heartfelt Condolences
The CEO offered personal condolences to affected families during his statement.
"I offer my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the people who passed away. I am so sorry for your loss," Rue said.
The incident highlights critical vulnerabilities in Australia's emergency communications infrastructure and raises questions about telecommunications companies' responsibility for maintaining reliable emergency services access during network maintenance operations.
Federal regulators and government agencies are expected to announce their response to the incident as the investigation proceeds.
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