Millions of Australians were left without a phone or internet connection on Wednesday after the country’s second-largest telecommunications provider experienced an unexplained nationwide outage, throwing payment, transport, and health systems into chaos.
The outage, which occurred on Wednesday morning, had far-reaching consequences, crippling payment systems, online operations, and even impacting transportation services. Train networks and ride-share services were briefly down in some cities, causing morning peak-hour chaos. Additionally, some hospital and emergency services were also affected, leaving people across the country unable to call emergency services and critical helpline numbers.
The outage was first reported around 4 am local time on Wednesday, and it was not until almost 5.30 pm local time that Optus, the telecommunications provider, announced that services had been restored. With approximately 10 million Australians, or 40% of the population, being Optus customers, the outage left many unable to use smartphones, broadband internet, or landlines for much of the day.
The incident sparked criticism about the robustness of Australia’s telecommunications network, particularly focusing on Optus, which is owned by Singapore Telecommunications. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland expressed frustration, stating that Optus should respond to customer concerns accordingly.
While no cause of the failure was given, Rowland mentioned that the outage occurred deep within the network and had wide ramifications across mobile, fixed, and broadband services for Optus customers. Despite Optus reporting one of the country’s biggest cyber breaches 14 months ago, CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin stated that she did not believe the latest outage was the result of a hack.
Under laws introduced in the aftermath of the 2022 Optus cyber attack, Australian companies must report to the government within 72 hours if they believe they have experienced a cyber attack. Industry analyst Paul Budde suggested that telecoms companies should be required to accept customers from rival carriers on their networks in emergencies, a reform that the industry has long resisted.
Parent company SingTel confirmed the incident without explanation and noted that Optus had apologized for the outage. SingTel shares were down 4.8% on the Singapore stock market following the news.
Chaos ensued as almost half of Australia was disconnected, marking one of the biggest network outages the country has witnessed. Melbourne’s train networks were forced to shut down for about 30 minutes, resulting in delays during the morning rush. Additionally, hospitals and emergency services across the country were impacted, with phone services to Ramsay Health Care’s hospitals and clinics being affected.
Banking services, including some ATMs using Optus, were also impacted, with Commonwealth Bank acknowledging that some customers may encounter difficulties with its services. The incident has prompted discussions about the management of critical national infrastructure across multiple private companies.
In conclusion, the nationwide outage experienced by Optus has highlighted the vulnerabilities in Australia’s telecommunications network and raised concerns about the resilience of such vital infrastructure. As the country continues to rely heavily on digital services, ensuring the stability and security of these networks is paramount for the well-being of the population and the economy.