Why Triple-0 calls fail and how new Leelou app can save lives
After three deaths were linked to the Optus outage, experts warn Triple-0 isn’t foolproof — here’s why calls can fail, what to do in an emergency, and the new Aussie app that could help save lives.
A new app promising “instant” access to emergency services could help Australians in the event there was a triple-0 outage such as the recent Optus incident which has been linked to three deaths.
Founder Jerry Farsoun said the Leelou app was free to download, did not rely on a mobile carrier and operated anywhere with Wi-Fi.
“Triple-0 today is like how Blockbuster was when Netflix came out – technology needs to replace or support what triple-0 is doing because lives are being lost and they will continue to be lost,” Mr Farsoun said.
Director Cyber Advisory at CyberPulse, Paul Friend, said having a backup option like a personal safety app can make “all the difference” in an emergency.
“When a major network like Optus goes down, it’s a reminder that we can’t always rely on just one way to reach help,” Friend said.
“Apps like Leelou give you a safety net. If calling triple-0 doesn’t work, your phone can still alert people you trust, share your location, and even stream audio so someone knows what’s going on.”
However, Friend said it was also important to remember apps aren’t foolproof.
“They rely on data networks, phone battery, and permissions working as expected. They’re helpful, but not a replacement for common sense or preparation,” he said.
Leelou was voted one of the best personal safety apps in Australia by independent review site Safewise last year. Other personal safety devices also exist including smart watches, and medical alarms that users can use and tap an SOS button for help.
To use the app, a user must create a profile and then invite up to five close contacts to also download the app.
If the user is in trouble, they press an SOS button, which immediately sends audio, GPS coordinates and phone battery status to their emergency contacts.
It also connects with the health apps on Apple and Android devices, and can detect irregular heart rates that may trigger an SOS alert.
“If someone is suffering from domestic violence, has a heart attack or a panic attack the SOS warning will be triggered automatically,” Mr Farsoun said.
“With Leelou, if there’s a network outage you’ll find that you may not be able to make a phone call, but if you’ve still got Wi-Fi, you can alert users where there’s trouble.”
The app was developed following the rape and murder of 21-year-old Palestinian student Aia Masarwe, who was on a video call with her sister at the time, and the rape and murder of Courtney Herron, who had tried phoning her ex-boyfriend just moments before her death.
Courtney’s grieving father John Herron is endorsing the app and said it could have saved his daughter’s life.
“When women are caught up in situations they only have split seconds to react and I’m sure that if my daughter had the ability to hit an SOS button it could have changed her life,” he said.
Mr Farsoun said that traditional emergency calls don’t provide the same real-time information as the app.
“If you’re on the phone to your sister in Palestine, you can’t dial triple-0 at the same time,” he said.
“That’s where Leelou is different. The moment you hit the SOS button, someone knows where you are and what’s happening around you. Even if your phone battery is down to 1 per cent.”
A spokesman from the federal government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts said “the government is continually exploring ways to improve the service” to ensure easy and reliable access to triple-0 for every Australian.
YOUR TRIPLE-0 QUESTIONS ANSWERED
WHO OPERATES TRIPLE-0?
The Australian Emergency Call Service, aka ‘000’, is regulated and monitored by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
WHAT DID OPTUS SAY WAS THE CAUSE OF THE TRIPLE-0 OUTAGE?
Optus issued a statement saying it conducted a network upgrade and within this process a technical failure impacted Triple Zero calls.
“This resulted in the failure of a number of Triple Zero calls in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and a small number of calls in New South Wales near the South Australian border that were connected to the South Australian network.
“Normal calls were still connecting during this period.
“This technical failure has now been rectified.”
WHAT IF I HAVE NO MOBILE SIGNAL? DO TRIPLE-0 CALLS STILL WORK?
Telecommunications companies have a responsibility to ensure triple-0 calls are connected, and emergency calls are required to be redirected to another network in the area if your network is unavailable.
But if no telco network is available in the area then no, the call will not go through.
“If there is no mobile coverage on any network, you will not be able to reach the Emergency Call Service via a mobile telephone,” the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website said.
WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE IF THERE IS NO SIGNAL?
Newer mobile phones may be able to relay information to triple-0 in cases where you have no network coverage.
“There are some new innovations, such as Apple’s Emergency SOS over satellite that enable customers with an iPhone 14 or newer to text and have their needs relayed to triple-0,” an ACMA spokesperson said.
WHAT IF I HAVE A 3G OR 4G MOBILE PHONE? WILL THEY STILL WORK?
Australia’s 3G network shut down last year, which means calls made to ‘000’ on mobile phones on the 3G network will not work.
Some 4G phones may require users to turn on a setting called a Voice over Long-Term Evolution emergency calling.
But some 4G models may not have this feature and in that case, people would not be able to make triple-0 calls.
DOES 911 WORK IN AUSTRALIA?
This number is the US emergency service number and should not be dialled in Australia. If used, it will re-route to 000.
WHAT ABOUT 112?
‘112’ is the international standard emergency number, which can only be called from a digital mobile phone.
When people dial ‘112’ in Australia, the call will be automatically re-routed to ‘000’.
“It does not require a SIM card or pin number to make the call, however phone coverage must be available (any carrier) for the call to proceed,” the DHA website states.
Both ‘112’ and ‘000’ calls operate on the same networks and therefore there is no difference in availability during network outages or areas without any telco network coverage.
