Two Deaths, No Answers: Why Your Old Phone Might Not Dial 000
This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.
Today’s Article is brought to you by Empower your podcasting vision with a suite of creative solutions at your fingertips.
Two Australians have died after their Samsung phones failed to connect to Triple Zero, and a Senate inquiry just revealed telcos kept the government—and the public—in the dark for over ten weeks.
What happened
A person in Wentworth Falls, NSW died on 24 September after their Samsung phone couldn’t connect to Australia’s emergency number, Triple Zero. Their device, running outdated software, was incompatible with 4G emergency calling—the only option after 3G networks shut down.
Telstra, which operates the emergency call system, emailed the Communications Department the same day. TPG (which owns Vodafone) told a senior official two days later there was “no fatality associated with the incident.” That was wrong.
For 10+ weeks, Communications Minister Anika Wells and her department believed no one had died. Telstra only corrected the record on Monday night—hours before executives were due to testify at a Senate inquiry.
A second death occurred on 13 November in Sydney, also linked to a Samsung device on the Vodafone network. TPG disclosed that incident to the stock exchange at the time but says it only learned the September death was fatal this week.
Truth matters. Quality journalism costs.
Your subscription to Mencari directly funds the investigative reporting our democracy needs. For less than a coffee per week, you enable our journalists to uncover stories that powerful interests would rather keep hidden. There is no corporate influence involved. No compromises. Just honest journalism when we need it most.
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
What is the 3G shutdown / 4G emergency calling issue?
Australia’s telcos switched off their 3G networks in 2024. Emergency calls now require 4G technology. Samsung phones sold between 2015 and 2021 were configured for Vodafone’s old 3G emergency system. Over 70 Samsung models either need a software update—or can never make 4G emergency calls at all.
If your phone is on that list and you don’t update or replace it, dialling 000 may not connect you to help.
What different sides say
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (inquiry chair): Called the situation a “cover-up,” saying telcos were “all looking after yourselves” rather than disclosing the September death.
TPG CEO Iñaki Berroeta: Told the inquiry TPG had “no idea” why it took until Monday to learn a customer had died. He confirmed tens of thousands of phones need updates and thousands more must be replaced entirely. Around 500 customers have taken up TPG’s offer of a replacement phone.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady: Said Telstra informed the department, the communications regulator (ACMA), and NSW ambulance on the day of the incident. Telstra assumed TPG knew the Wentworth Falls incident involved a death because it was referred to by that name in communications. Brady could not recall whether the September fatality was raised in a 20 October meeting with the minister’s office.
Samsung Australia (Eric Chou, head of mobile): Confirmed 71 Samsung models are affected and that Samsung is working with networks to identify and contact customers.
Government spokesperson: Described the outcome as “disturbing” and confirmed investigations into why the department was misled.
What this likely means next
Regulators are investigating how miscommunication between telcos and government left the minister uninformed. Senators are asking why no telco proactively warned the public after the September death—especially since it occurred just six days after a fatal Optus outage linked to three other deaths.
Expect further hearings, possible regulatory changes around emergency call disclosure, and pressure on telcos to replace or block incompatible devices faster.
Why it matters to me
If you’re using an older Samsung (2015–2021), your phone might not dial 000 in an emergency. That’s not a tech inconvenience—it’s life or death. You can’t assume your phone works just because it makes regular calls. Check your device model, update your software, or ask your telco for a replacement.
How we put this together
This piece draws on two primary source documents: live testimony from the 9 December Senate inquiry (via ABC News and Guardian Australia reporting), plus the TPG ASX disclosure from November. Key actors quoted are telco CEOs (Telstra, TPG), a Samsung Australia executive, a senior communications department official, and senators from the Greens and Liberals. Telstra operates the Triple Zero network under contract to the Australian government; TPG owns the Vodafone consumer brand.
Gen Z line
If you’re under 30 and using a hand-me-down or secondhand Samsung, this directly affects whether you can call for help in an emergency. Check the model, update the software, or push your telco for a free replacement—some carriers are already offering them.
Bias Explanation: This story centres government accountability, consumer protection, and corporate transparency—frames that lean progressive but are delivered through institutional channels (a Senate inquiry, regulators, official statements). Actors foregrounded include Greens and Liberal senators, telco executives, and government officials. No market-deregulation or law-and-order framing is present. The piece is primarily technocratic and fact-driven, which lifts the Centrist/Moderate score. The Greens senator provides the strongest editorial framing (”cover-up”), which boosts Progressive and Left-Wing scores, but Liberal senator Henderson’s critical questioning also gets airtime.
Bias comparisons derive from an AI-assisted evaluation of content sources and are protected by copyright held by Mencari News. Please share any feedback to newsdesk@readmencari.com
Sustaining Mencari Requires Your Support
Independent journalism costs money. Help us continue delivering in-depth investigations and unfiltered commentary on the world's real stories. Your financial contribution enables thorough investigative work and thoughtful analysis, all supported by a dedicated community committed to accuracy and transparency.
Subscribe today to unlock our full archive of investigative reporting and fearless analysis. Subscribing to independent media outlets represents more than just information consumption—it embodies a commitment to factual reporting.
It only takes a minute to help us investigate fearlessly and expose lies and wrongdoing to hold power accountable. Thanks!