39 Triple Zero calls failed to connect during Optus outage
On Friday afternoon, 39 emergency calls from some Optus customers couldn't reach Triple Zero. These calls came from across four states.
An Optus outage started around 1:30pm on Friday. It disrupted 39 emergency calls trying to reach the Telstra Triple Zero network across four states.
The calls had trouble connecting because Optus coverage was down. Optus fixed services quickly.
No information shows the disrupted calls caused harm. Victoria Police checked on affected callers.
Triple Zero Victoria's chief operations officer Paul Santamaria said Optus gave details of the 39 affected calls just before 7pm. This is the second major Optus Triple Zero outage in recent years.
In September 2025, a failed firewall upgrade blocked emergency calls for 13 hours. That outage was linked to two deaths.
Australia's communications regulator is now suing Optus over that incident. It is seeking fines over $500 million.
Why it mattersEmergency call failures put lives at risk. In emergencies, these minutes are the most critical.
AustraliaPeople in Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania experienced disrupted access to emergency services during the Friday afternoon outage.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au·watoday.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 8 h ago
