Cyclone Alfred: Additional Optus and Telstra employees ready to deploy from interstate

Additional telecommunication employees from other states are ready to deploy to Queensland in anticipation of Cyclone Alfred cutting phone and internet lines.

Additional telecommunication employees have been called in from interstate to help ensure any phone and internet lines knocked out by Cyclone Alfred are restored as fast as possible, representatives said.

Optus Local General Manager, Nick Channell, said the company had been working with their field operations teams to ensure any impacts on services as a result of the storm were minimised as much as possible.

“The safety of our customers and employees are of the utmost importance as we prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Alfred,” he said.

“We have 24-hour staff on site at Exchanges who are ready to respond as required.

“We also have fixed and mobile generators checked and ready to deploy, SatCats are positioned in Brisbane and Coffs Harbour which are tested and ready and extra personnel from interstate have been called in to add additional support.”

The city of Brisbane from the Mount Coot-Tha Summit lookout on Wednesday. Tropical Cyclone Alfred is anticipated to make landfall in southeast Queensland and northern NSW by the end of this week, marking the first time a cyclone has hit the region in about 50 years. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Image

Mobile Satellite Communications (SatCat) trailers can emit 3G and 4G coverage from the trailer via a satellite link to the core Optus network a severe weather event or natural disaster has resulted in outages to critical phone and network connections.

Mr Channell said he expected telecommunications to be affected by the cyclone.

“Based on the weather forecasts, we do expect telecommunications, such as mobile and internet, to be impacted, that’s why it is important for customers to be as prepared as possible,” he said.

He also said emergency calls to triple-0 on mobile networks during power outages should work if another carrier was available.

Telstra employees were also ready to mobilise across the region.

Telstra Regional General Manager, May Boisen, said temporary power generators had been moved into staging areas and were ready to be deployed.

“We have a long history of responding to extreme weather events and our people are often first on the ground after emergency services to assess and bring our network back online,” she said.

Louise Townsend, 54, of Mountain Creek, took this photo of a tree being smashed by large waves, caused by Cyclone Alfred, at the Point Cartwright break on the Sunshine Coast about 9.45am Thursday, March 6, 2025. Picture: Supplied

“Extended power outages are often a major cause of network disruption.

“Our network sites have backup systems that keep services running for as long as possible, but there may be disruptions if power’s out for a long time in your area or if access is cut to a site.”

Originally anticipated to make landfall in southeast Queensland as a category two system overnight Thursday, Tropical Cyclone Alfred is now forecast to hit the Moreton Bay region as a category one storm about 4am Saturday.

On Wednesday a spokesman for TPG Telecom – the parent company of Vodafone, TPG, iiNet and more – also encouraged customers to have a plan in case power outages.

“As Cyclone Alfred approaches, our priority is to keep our customers and communities connected,” he said.

“We have taken proactive steps to ensure the resilience of our network, and we’re ready to respond to any disruptions caused by this weather event.

“While our networks are built to be as resilient as possible, natural disasters often cause power outages which can then affect nearby communication networks.”

Power companies, NBN Co and telco’s are ready to rush to restore power, internet and mobile phone connectivity knocked out by Cyclone Alfred as fast as possible. Picture: Picture Lachie Millard

The spokesman for the Australian telecommunications company encouraged clients to have a plan to stay connected by having phones charged, saving emergency contact details and knowing evacuation routes.

“We’ll continue monitoring the situation closely and are ready to respond where needed,” he said.

Some of TPG Telecom’s other brands include AAPT, Internode, Lebara and Felix mobile.

A spokesman for the Federal government-owned National Broadband Network (NBN) also advised customers in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales to prepare their connectivity plans if they had not already.

“NBN now has equipment and personnel ready to respond on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Northern NSW,” he said.

“Our resources include generators, multi-tech trailers, satellite trucks and portable satellite kits.”

Tips for staying connected during severe storms or natural disasters

■ Find the nearest payphone

■ Connect with family members or friends outside of the impacted area before a severe weather event hits, including letting them know your exact location and what your plans are

■ Know where local evacuation centres and emergency meeting spots are, along with different ways to get there if roads are blocked during a disaster

■ Conserve mobile phone battery power by closing all unnecessary apps in the background and placing the phone into power saving mode

■ Charge any mobile battery packs for extra back-up charge

■ Write down emergency phone numbers, including for the local State Emergency Service. Also have them already saved mobile phones

■ Back up data in the cloud so important personal photos and data are not lost

Originally published as Cyclone Alfred: Additional Optus and Telstra employees ready to deploy from interstate