Senate calls for Telstra to lose control of Triple Zero emergency system
A Senate inquiry recommends Telstra lose control of the 000 emergency call system to a new independent national authority.
The inquiry was sparked by an Optus network outage in September 2025 linked to two deaths. The inquiry expanded as similar problems emerged across other major telcos.
The final report handed down today made 11 recommendations. A new national authority should take over the Emergency Call Person operations that Telstra currently runs: answering Triple Zero calls and routing them to local emergency services.
The inquiry was chaired by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and backed by Coalition and Labor members. It also called for SMS-based emergency texts, an independent review of the communications regulator ACMA, and domestic roaming to let people access other networks during outages.
- 2 from Optus outage
- Linked deaths
- 11
- Recommendations made
- Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator
- Inquiry chair
- September 2025
- Outage date
Why it mattersThe 000 system saves lives. Leaving it in private hands has proven risky. Removing it could prevent future deaths from outages.
AustraliaAustralians relying on Triple Zero for emergency help would depend on a government-run system rather than private telcos, potentially improving reliability during crises.
