TPG Telecom says customer died after triple-0 call failed to connect
Another Australian has died after a triple-0 failure prevented them from being able to connect with emergency services. Here’s how the latest tragedy unfolded.
Another Australian has died after a tragic triple-0 failure prevented them from being able to connect with emergency services.
A person lost their life in Sydney last Thursday after a relative calling on their behalf was unable to call triple-0 on TPG Telecom’s mobile network.
The death comes after a major network outage at Optus in September, which blocked about 600 triple-0 calls across the country, was linked to the deaths of three Australians.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT IS THE LATEST TRIPLE-0 FAILURE?
Details have not yet been confirmed but it is understood a customer using the telco’s budget Lebara service attempted to call triple-0 on behalf of a relative, who later died.
WHAT HAS TPG SAID?
TPG said the person was using a Lebara service on an older Samsung device when they tried to make the emergency call on November 13.
The telco said the failure was caused by the customer’s Samsung device running “software that was not compatible with making triple-0 calls on the network”.
“Customer safety remains our highest priority,” TPG chief executive Inaki Berroeta said.
“This is a tragic incident and thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones. Access to emergency services is critical.
“We urge all customers with outdated software to replace or update their devices without delay to ensure they can reach triple-0 in an emergency.”
WHY WAS THE CUSTOMER UNABLE TO REACH TRIPLE-0?
According to the company, TPG Telecom’s mobile network was fully operational with no reported outages at the time of the attempted emergency call.
The company said it had already notified users of older Samsung models to update software so that they were able to maintain emergency-calling capability.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The federal government has said it will investigate TPG Telecom over the incident.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said it was a “tragic situation that will be investigated”.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the person who has died,” she said.
“TPG’s compliance with the Emergency Call Service Determination will be rigorously assessed by [Australian Communications and Media Authority] ACMA.”
WHO OPERATES TRIPLE-0?
The Australian Emergency Call Service, aka ‘000’, is regulated and monitored by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE OPTUS OUTAGE?
Optus issued a statement saying it conducted a network upgrade and within this process a technical failure impacted triple-0 calls.
An independent review into the business, led by Kerry Schott and set to be completed before the end of the year, will examine the technical, operational and governance factors that contributed to the outage as well as act as a guide for further improvements.
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 triple-0.
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.
More Coverage
Originally published as TPG Telecom says customer died after triple-0 call failed to connect
Disturbing details, 15yo dead in school horror
