Overview of the incident
Australian telecom giant Optus faced fresh scrutiny after it sent two outage notifications to an incorrect, defunct government email address on September 18. The messages went to a non-monitored inbox at the Department of Communications, Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, seven minutes apart, despite Optus repeatedly using the correct channels for other outages. The incident raised questions about regulatory notification processes just days after three people died while being unable to contact Triple Zero during a separate outage.
What went wrong
During a combative Senate estimates hearing, department officials confirmed the emails were delivered to an inactive address. Deputy secretary James Chisholm stated that notification is considered complete only when delivered to the correct recipient, noting that the wrong mailbox means the department did not receive the alert in a usable form. Kathleen Silleri, assistant secretary of the emergency communications section, highlighted that Optus has used the proper address for prior incidents, indicating a systemic failure rather than a one-off error.
The regulatory and political response
The hearing featured tense exchanges, with Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young accusing the department of inconsistency in its initial statements. She pointed out that the department later acknowledged it had not actually been notified by Optus emails and that the messages sat unread for more than 24 hours. ACMA’s involvement was cited as the trigger for the department’s awareness of the outage on September 19, underscoring a breakdown in the notification chain that officials later described as unacceptable.
Key questions for accountability
Senate members pressed officials on why an email forwarding system from the defunct address was not in place and how such gaps can be prevented in the future. Deputy secretary Chisholm repeatedly avoided attributing the issue to a single cause, emphasising that Optus’ failure to comply with the defined regulatory mailbox was the central fault. Samuel Grunhard, assistant secretary, reiterated that had the correct submission been received, the department would have acted more promptly, especially given prior expectations around timely regulatory contact.
Impact and implications
The incident has immediate practical consequences: it prompted renewed calls for robust, auditable notification protocols between telcos and government agencies. The broader implication concerns public safety in outage scenarios where timely communication can influence emergency response outcomes. The episode ≤ comes at a moment of heightened sensitivity around critical infrastructure resilience, emergency communications, and the responsibilities of major telcos toward government partners.
Looking ahead
Observers will be watching how Optus responds to the findings, including potential recommendations to tighten the official channels and ensure that misdirected alerts do not recur. The Senate estimates process will likely yield further questions about notification timing, monitoring practices, and the adequacy of current safeguards. In the meantime, the lesson emphasized by officials and lawmakers alike is clear: in emergency communications, the correct recipient is not optional—it is essential for safeguarding public safety and maintaining trust in critical infrastructure.
