Three dead after Optus network failure disrupts triple-0 emergency calls across three states
A major Optus network failure during a system upgrade left hundreds of Australians unable to reach triple-0 on 18 September, with three deaths now confirmed. The incident has sparked outrage among state and federal leaders, prompting investigations into the telco’s handling of the outage.
- Network upgrade caused major outage, blocking emergency calls in SA, WA and NT.
- Three deaths confirmed as government launches multiple investigations.
- Optus apologises amid backlash over poor communication and repeated failures.
Three people have died following a major technical failure in the Optus network during a scheduled upgrade, severely disrupting triple-0 emergency calls in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The failure, which occurred on 18 September 2025, left approximately 600 customers unable to access emergency services. Optus, wholly owned by Singapore-based telecommunications group Singtel, has confirmed that a proportion of these calls did not connect, with three resulting in fatalities.
Speaking at a press conference on the evening of 19 September, Optus chief executive Stephen Rue acknowledged the deaths, stating that “two people died in SA and one in WA” during the outage.
Technical fault disrupted emergency calls
Rue explained that the disruption followed a network upgrade that caused a technical fault, rendering some triple-0 calls unable to go through.
“This resulted in the failure of a number of triple-0 calls,” Rue said, adding that the issue had since been rectified.
Approximately 600 customers were potentially affected, with a portion of their emergency calls failing. Rue stated welfare checks were ongoing and that the telco was still investigating the extent of the disruption.
“I want to offer a sincere apology to all customers who could not connect to emergency services when they needed them most,” he said. “What has happened is completely unacceptable. We have let you down.”
Public and government backlash
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from state and federal officials. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the outage as “incredibly serious and completely unacceptable”.
“The impact of this failure has had tragic consequences,” she said, emphasising that telecommunications providers have obligations to ensure emergency calls are always accessible.
Wells confirmed that the federal government had accepted all recommendations from the previous Optus outage review in 2023 and was in the process of implementing all 18 recommendations.
In Western Australia, Premier Roger Cook extended sympathies to the affected families and said the state was urgently seeking further details from Optus.
SA Premier calls conduct ‘reprehensible’
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas delivered one of the strongest rebukes, criticising Optus for failing to inform his government of the deaths before addressing the media.
“I have not witnessed such incompetence from an Australian corporation in respect to communications worse than this,” he said.
Malinauskas described Optus’ decision to proceed with a press conference without first notifying state officials as “reprehensible conduct”.
He added that the SA government would launch an independent investigation into the telco’s conduct and handling of the incident.
Previous breach raised similar concerns
The failure follows a similar incident in 2023, when Optus was fined A$12 million after a national outage on 8 November left 2,145 customers unable to reach triple-0 and 369 welfare checks unfulfilled.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found the 2023 outage was preventable and warned of its potential for “devastating” consequences.
At the time, Optus pledged it would never happen again. On Friday, Rue was pressed about how a repeat could occur so soon after the prior incident.
“This should not have happened. We’re doing a thorough investigation,” Rue said. “The facts are still being established.”
Legal consequences and possible civil action
Legal experts have suggested Optus could face serious penalties. Lawyer Justin Quill from Thomson Greer noted this was effectively a “second offence”, compounding the seriousness of the breach.
“So there was obviously some work being done that caused this outage,” Quill told A Current Affair. “Together with the tragic death of three people, I think we will see the fine much higher than A$12 million.”
He also noted the potential for civil claims from the families of the deceased.
Emergency protocols under scrutiny
WA Police confirmed that standard national protocols were followed during the incident, stating that when a triple-0 call fails to connect, the carrier is required to attempt contact and, if unsuccessful, notify police to carry out welfare checks.
Authorities in multiple jurisdictions are continuing to investigate the timeline and consequences of the outage. Welfare checks remain ongoing.
Optus has pledged to fully cooperate with all government agencies and regulatory bodies.
The incident marks a serious blow to the telco’s reputation, coming less than two years after its previous nationwide failure, and raises renewed questions about the resilience of Australia’s critical communications infrastructure.
