Optus’ public response to the system crash didn’t work
CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin is technically right that the outage cannot be ‘covered in a soundbite’. But it is also tin-eared in Optus’ treatment of the public interest in the matter.
Very complex technology will sometimes go wrong. Any criticism of the national failure of the Optus telecommunications and internet network on Wednesday must start from that point. Telstra has had longer – though less damaging – outages. Investors still shudder at memories of the day-long ASX blackout in November 2020.
The real test is how you react afterwards. Optus, for which the lightning of a public relations crisis has now struck twice in 13 months, should know that better than anyone – but it seems not.
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