Constant outages brings consumers to question Telstra network

ANALYSIS: As Telstra faces a string of shocking outages, it begs the question, why should consumers be paying a premium to use the problem-ridden network?

HOW can you spot a Telstra user?

They frequently look frazzled and frustrated, poke maniacally at their smartphone, and wonder out loud why 4G has disappeared, replaced with 3G or the dreaded “SOS” icon in the latest round of Telstra Telephone Roulette.

The country’s biggest mobile phone carrier, which advertises itself as having “Australia’s best mobile network,” has been hosting yet another shocking run of outages this month.

RELATED: Telstra suffers another outage on its mobile network

Consumers pay a premium to use the Telstra network. Picture: AAP

It started on May 1 with an embarrassing two-hour outage on the same day it launched a new flagship mobile phone plan. Super awkward.

It continued on May 4 with a critical outage to Australia’s landline network that saw some triple-0 phone calls unable to connect to emergency services. Super dangerous.

And now, just over two weeks later, Telstra’s mobile network is broken again, with some customers cut off from phone calls, messages, and the internet entirely.

It’s a situation so dire, NSW Police issued warnings that triple-0 calls would be re-routed to other mobile phone carriers that were actually working.

Visiting any Telstra social media page will tell you just how frustrated its customers have become with these outages, as most land somewhere between exasperated eye-rolling and open animosity.

These reactions are fuelled by Telstra’s advertising and pricing. Consumers who need consistently reliable mobile phone connections are more likely to sign up to a Telstra plan, enticed by promises of connectivity in more places, more often. They also pay a premium to do so.

How I’m feeling right now during another Telstra outage... #telstra #telstraoutage pic.twitter.com/XOIENNz3jA

— Chelsea H (@AmeriAus_food) May 21, 2018

Death, taxes and Telstra outages. The three certainties of life #telstra

— Cam Reddin (@CamReddin) May 21, 2018

Vodafone, for example, often offers cheaper mobile phone plans with more generous data allowances but, despite their current solid record, the company is haunted by its “Vodafail” issues of the past. Customers bypassing these cheaper deals for Telstra have every right to be infuriated when their investment fails them again and again.

It’s not the first time Telstra customers have suffered a string of outages either. Two years ago, the problems became so regular that Telstra launched two “free data days” to compensate its users for the network’s downtime and earn some goodwill.

Telstra chief executive Andy Penn, at the time, said the company took the outages “very, very seriously” and he could see why “confidence over the reliability of the network would have been impacted”.

The company promised to prioritise a $250 million investment in its network to improve its resilience. And, yet, here we are.

From an outsider’s perspective, the ongoing theme with these outages appears to be failing network hardware and a haphazard approach to upgrades.

On May 1, the company blamed equipment used to redirect mobile traffic. The failure followed “technical changes” that had to be rolled back.

On May 4, the company blamed equipment used to redirect telephone traffic. The failure followed a lightning strike, Telstra said.

Telstra launched two “free data days” a couple of years ago because of frequent network outages. Picture: Getty Images

Similar mobile service traffic issues, and router failures, were blamed for the 2016 outages.

So while Telstra is still investigating the “root cause” of its latest problem, I would place money on a router failure, and double-down on a router failure that followed a software change.

What does this all mean, though? Can you trust Telstra to deliver the services it promises? Should you switch carriers?

While it might not seem like it today, Telstra still has the most comprehensive mobile network in Australia and, in some regional areas, it’s the only carrier offering mobile coverage.

Telstra is being forced to change by the arrival of the National Broadband Network, however. It’s handed over parts of its network, it’s being forced to cut staff in some areas, it’s being squeezed on price by its rivals, and it’s been focusing hard on leading the world in 5G mobile technology.

An argument could be made that these pressures mean it’s not paying enough attention to its existing network, and proactively maintaining the critical infrastructure needed to connect millions of demanding customers with growing data allowances and every intention to use them.

To borrow from Oscar Wilde, to lose network mobile connectivity once may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose it twice in one month looks like carelessness.

Telstra stemmed the mobile network outages in 2016, but it can ill afford another long string of problems. It needs to invest in stabilising its network now or savvy customers nearing the end of their contracts should carefully consider their next move. No one likes to look frazzled

Originally published as Constant outages brings consumers to question Telstra network