Analysis: The recent Optus network outage on September 18 had dire consequences, resulting in the failure of numerous Triple Zero emergency calls and, tragically, two fatalities when individuals were unable to reach emergency services.

Yesterday, Optus released an independent report that delves deeply into the incident. The findings will prompt changes in how network upgrades are managed and how internal communications are conducted at Optus. More critically, the report highlights a significant vulnerability in our reliance on mobile technology for emergency communications, particularly concerning the Triple Zero emergency line.

While the technical reasons behind the outage are being examined, and accountability within Optus is likely to lead to internal repercussions, the broader takeaway should be an educational one for Australians. Understanding these issues can help prevent future occurrences and improve our collective response to similar situations.

The report, authored by Dr. Kerry Schott AO, opens with a crucial point: in the event of an outage, mobile devices may take “40 to 60 seconds to camp-on,” or connect to an alternative network to make a Triple Zero call. This technical delay is a critical factor in emergency response.

On the day of the outage, many Optus customers experienced this firsthand. Those attempting to reach Triple Zero were met with silence, highlighting the urgent need for improved systems and customer awareness.

A key recommendation of the Schott report is to “Inform all customers that their devices may take 40-60 seconds to connect to Triple Zero” – that is a staggering thing to hear, as Dr Schott points out, “In an emergency, people are unlikely to hang on for this length of time, especially when the only response they are getting is silence on the line.”

Critically, there is no single way in which mobile phones operate in the event of an outage to process a request to call Triple Zero.

Optus testing showed that Apple and Samsung phones used different pathways to establish a route through to another network and ultimately to Triple Zero.

Most concerning might also be the analysis which showed both Apple and Samsung devices attempted to connect to 3G to make that call, despite the fact that 3G has been switched off in Australia for over a year now.

Given this 40 to 60 second delay, it can be assumed that part of that timeframe is used to attempt 3G connections, and that should be written completely out of the code for devices used in Australia.

Perhaps problematically, removing that code might then render the phones unable to contact emergency numbers in other countries when travelling, which is also an issue for travellers coming to Australia with phones still hard-coded to use 3G for emergency services.

The Schott report recommends that the industry and Government investigate ways to make the Triple Zero system be data-enabled, which would remove this reliance on now-old, outdated, and discontinued mobile network concepts.

Concerningly, the report also recommends that the public be encouraged to test their devices to ensure they work for a Triple Zero call.

It is vital that the public never call Triple Zero unless it is an emergency; in fact, it’s an offence to do so.

What is needed though is a system by which people can have faith that their phone will work in the unique circumstances of a network failure, something you can’t test by simply making a call.

Industry testing of devices must continue; a phone or SMS number should be set up for people to contact to validate their device, and the regulators and Government must act fast to bring our Triple Zero emergency call network up to a modern global standard.

While not noted in the Schott report, this could and should include factors such as calls via satellite, SMS, and messaging connectivity to Triple Zero and a modern data-enabled call system; it’s the least we should expect from the most important phone number in Australia.