Singtel Apologises for Optus Emergency Call Outage Linked to Four Deaths Across Australia

Singtel, the parent company of Australia's Optus, apologized for a network outage that disrupted emergency triple-0 calls and has been linked to multiple deaths, with reports varying between three and four fatalities. The outage, which lasted 13 hours, was triggered by a network firewall upgrade combined with human error, affecting around 600 customers who could not reach emergency services. CEO Yuen Kuan Moon expressed deep regret and emphasized cooperation with governmental bodies, with an independent review led by Dr. Kerry Schott commissioned to investigate the incident and prevent future occurrences. The review will assess technical failures, operational management of emergency calls, and compliance with policies and legislation. The incident has sparked intense public outrage and scrutiny, highlighting concerns about underinvestment in Australia's telecommunications infrastructure, which experts say has been neglected amid squeezed profits and competition from digital giants. This crisis has prompted calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the telecommunications sector to ensure reliable emergency communication services.