Welfare checks spike as second tech glitch hits Telstra
Telstra users face a second day of outages, with another bug preventing triple zero calls from connecting as more welfare checks are conducted.
telecommunication service
Software glitch blamed for crippling Telstra outage
Telstra has been forced to carry out hundreds of welfare checks after an hours-long outage that disrupted everything from phone services to trains.
No referee: the online traps costing Aussies millions
Locked out of accounts, charged unfairly or unable to get help, a study has found most Australians suffer online disputes every year.
Vodafone back online after network outage causes chaos
A major telco insists millions of customers still had access to emergency services despite its network going down for a large part of the day.
‘Hello, anyone there?’ Mobile phone complaints spike
Thousands of Australians are reporting trouble with their mobile phone service, with smartphone snags responsible for almost half of all ombudsman complaints.
Got a phone? Prepare for an unsolicited message
Almost all Australians will get the same alert later this year as part of a nation-wide test of a new emergency warning system.
Optus boss grilled over fatal outage as telco eyes cuts
The head of Optus has accepted a "culture of carelessness" was entrenched at the telco, leading to a series of failures which have been linked to two deaths.
computing and information technology
consumers
internet
regulatory policy and organisation
technology (general)
telecommunication equipment
telecommunication service
wireless technology
Triple-zero outages and changes trigger more complaints
Complaints about telecommunications services are rising in Australia and faulty and disconnected mobile phone connections are making the biggest impact.
Early warnings not heeded in deadly triple-zero outage
A host of mistakes were made during an Optus triple-zero outage linked to two deaths, including a failure to escalate initial concerns up the chain.
Cover-up claims as triple zero-linked death revealed
Another death linked to triple-zero failures just days after Optus' major outage was not publicly disclosed at the time, sparking accusations of a cover-up.
‘Didn’t get it right’: BOM defends website cost blowout
The Bureau of Meteorology's chief executive is standing by controversial changes to its website overhaul as he faces a senate grilling.
Fibre to the rescue: Aussies urged to take net upgrades
More than one million households have been disconnected by weather events this year and the NBN warns more will disproportionately affect copper connections.
Optus resolves fresh outage after vandals cut cables
Another Optus service outage that affected thousands of customers has been resolved after vandals cut cables while attempting to steal copper.
Customer dies after triple-zero fails on mobile phone
The embattled telco industry remains in the spotlight after a customer died when their phone could not make triple-zero calls.
Optus backs outage acts after keeping officials in dark
Optus leaders took nearly 18 hours to tell authorities deaths had been linked to a triple-zero outage, but they say the company followed the law.
‘Get on board’: minister’s environment overhaul appeal
Negotiating the passage of major environment reforms through parliament is pulling the federal government in different directions.
Governor takes aim at tax barrier to economic mobility
The Reserve Bank has set its sights on one tax it says keeps owners of big homes from downsizing and people from relocating for better jobs and pay.
Free phones for some in Samsung triple-zero ‘debacle’
Some Samsung phone users with old mobiles will get free replacements after triple-zero glitches, but not everyone will be so lucky.
From gigabits to terabits: fibre to fire up downloads
A fibre optic internet backbone will deliver internet speeds up to six times faster as well as a multi-billion-dollar boost to Australia's economy by 2040.
Hearings reveal Optus bungled triple-zero outage email
Federal authorities only found out about a catastrophic Optus triple-zero outage a day after it was resolved because the telco notified the wrong email address.
Heat dialled up on minister over triple-zero outages
Communications Minister Anika Wells has been questioned about her handling of a triple-zero outage, as reforms to the emergency network are introduced.
Optus in government’s sights as parliament returns
Telco execs, the communications minister, government bureaucrats and the opposition leader will face tough questions when federal parliament returns.
breaking_news
business (general)
economy, business and finance
emergency planning
politics
telecommunication service
‘Scapegoating’ Optus blames tech, staff for outages
Optus has blamed technical equipment and human error for two emergency call outages as the prime minister pans the telco for its "unacceptable" failures.
‘Unacceptable’: second triple-zero Optus outage slammed
A second Optus triple-zero outage in as many weeks has raised the ire of a premier as calls mount for the government to empower regulators rather than telcos.
‘History repeating’: quit heat dials up on Optus chief
Calls are growing across the political spectrum for the boss of Optus to stand down after his network oversaw a brutal network outage linked to multiple deaths.
Telco ‘cowboys’ not held to account after prior outage
A reliance on self-regulation has turned the telco sector into the wild west, an expert warns as Optus reels in the aftermath of another serious outage.
Optus boss answers calls to quit as outage fiasco grows
The head of Optus has blamed a failure of "established processes" to address a triple-zero outage connected to three deaths, as calls for penalties mount.
breaking_news
death
emergency incident
health
investigation
structural failures
telecommunication service
Fourth death during Optus triple zero outage confirmed
A West Australian has become the fourth confirmed death linked to an Optus outage that prevented customers from calling triple zero.
Three die as Optus triple-zero glitch impacts hundreds
Optus has apologised to telco customers as an outage that blocked triple-zero calls to hundreds of people in three states is linked to three deaths.
Cost and complexity leaves the telco sector on hold
Australia must move faster in deploying telecommunications infrastructure or risk falling behind in the AI race, Telstra chief Vicki Brady says.
Deaf, non-verbal man among ‘inexcusable’ Optus targets
Optus is hoping a court will approve a $100 million fine after it engaged in "unacceptable" sales tactics affecting Indigenous and disabled customers.