Communications minister Anika Wells has addressed the major Telstra network outage that disrupted mobile services, trains, and triple-zero emergency calls across Australia. In a statement, Wells confirmed that services have 'largely returned to business as usual, with only a small number of devices now still experiencing issues'. She emphasised that 'it is very important that people do not make test calls to triple zero' to avoid overwhelming the emergency system.
Scope of the Outage
The outage, which occurred on [date], affected Telstra's mobile network, causing widespread disruptions. Commuters in Victoria and Western Australia experienced delays as train services were impacted. Triple-zero calls were also affected, raising concerns about public safety. Telstra later apologised for the 'major time-keeping issue' that led to the network failure.
Government and Telstra Response
Wells confirmed that the government is conducting welfare checks to ensure vulnerable individuals are safe. Telstra engineers worked to restore services, with the company stating that the issue has been resolved for the majority of users. The telco urged customers to restart their devices if they still experience problems.
Impact and Aftermath
The outage highlighted the reliance on telecommunications infrastructure for emergency services and daily operations. Authorities are investigating the root cause to prevent future occurrences. Telstra has pledged to review its systems and improve resilience.
