Optus Outage Blamed on Ericsson: Australia Probes TripleZero
Australia’s second-largest telecommunications provider, Optus, is again in the spotlight after a weekend service disruption in the town of Dapto, New South Wales disrupted emergency communications for thousands. In a statement late last night, Optus pinned the fault on its long-time network partner Ericsson, saying a fault at a cell site left calls un-routable even though the tower appeared active.
Optus described the Ericsson equipment as failing to raise the alarm that would normally flag a fault. “The tower appeared active but wasn’t routing calls, and the Ericsson-supplied equipment failed to signal this,” the company said. At Optus’ request, Ericsson undertook a full health review of the elements of the network involved. The review reportedly found an anomaly that Ericsson had not seen elsewhere, and the vendor’s global product development unit is urgently analysing the issue. Optus stressed that the tower was fully operational and that the incident was unrelated to the September 18 Triple Zero outage.
Officials emphasised that the problem was confined to the specific cell site in question and not connected to any recent upgrades or maintenance. “Our priority is ensuring Australians can rely on Optus when connecting to Triple Zero when it matters most,” Optus added, apologising again to those affected and pledging ongoing cooperation with government, regulators and industry partners to rebuild trust.
What this means for emergency service access
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about the reliability of emergency communications in Australia. While Optus pledged that the outage does not reflect a system-wide failure, the disruption reignites scrutiny of the country’s Triple Zero framework and the governance surrounding it. A custodian role for Triple Zero currently exists within the Department of Communications, with legislation being fast-tracked following recommendations from the Bean review into the November 2023 Optus outage and subsequent inquiries.
Public and political reaction has been swift. Opposition and coalition figures have pressed for stronger oversight and faster action to restore public confidence in emergency services. The government has signalled a broader push to modernise the country’s housing and infrastructure agenda, but critics argue that urgent telecom reliability must not be sidelined amid broader reform.
Policy context: housing, supply and trust in government
In a separate but closely watched development, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Housing Minister Clare O’Neil were in Sydney to promote the 5 per cent housing deposit scheme that came into effect today. Treasury modelling suggested only a modest price impact of around 0.5 per cent over six years, while the Insurance Council of Australia warned of a possible ten per cent lift in the next year. The government argues the scheme will expand access to home ownership and boost supply with a $3 billion state incentive program to accelerate construction.
O’Neil defended Treasury’s modelling, emphasising the urgency of building more homes and improving supply, with the aim of “leveling the playing field” for young buyers. Albanese framed housing policy as part of a broader effort to confront affordability and supply challenges, noting that the government plans to deliver more homes, more quickly, while protecting vulnerable renters and increasing social housing stock.
Political reaction and accountability
National Leader David Littleproud attacked the government’s handling of the Triple Zero custodian issue, arguing that the new minister should have been fully briefed and that the policy priority should not be delayed by political dithering. He warned that the buck stops with the minister in charge, reflecting long-standing expectations about accountability in emergency infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the government indicated that consistent regulatory and legislative steps are being taken to safeguard Australians’ access to emergency services. A fast-tracked Triple Zero guardianship bill is intended to provide clarity around the role and responsibilities of the custodian, ensuring reliable emergency connectivity during disaster season and beyond.
Looking ahead
For Optus, the focus is likely to remain on restoration of trust through transparent incident investigation, rapid remediation with Ericsson, and close oversight by regulators. For Australians, the priority is clear: dependable access to emergency services when every second counts, even as the country navigates housing affordability and broader economic policy. If the weekend outage serves as a catalyst for stronger resilience in Australia’s critical networks, the coming months may bring tangible improvements in both emergency infrastructure and public confidence.
