New Triple Zero Laws Introduced After Telco Outages
The federal government has announced new legislation to strengthen the emergency call system after recent major outages affecting Optus and Telstra. This comes after Communications Minister Anika Wells summoned the CEOs of major telecommunications companies to Parliament House to address the issues.
Telco Bosses Face Scrutiny
The CEOs of Optus, Telstra, and TPG Telecom were called to a meeting with Minister Wells in Canberra. The meeting followed a significant outage in Optus' emergency network system, impacting four states and tragically resulting in the deaths of three individuals unable to contact triple-zero.
Telstra also experienced smaller outages shortly after the incident. The government's response aims to prevent future disruptions and ensure the reliability of the emergency call system.
Key Provisions of the New Legislation
Minister Wells announced the introduction of new rules that will mandate real-time reporting of emergency service breakdowns. The legislation seeks to bolster the powers of the triple-zero custodian, transforming it into a permanent, proactive guardian with greater oversight of the emergency services network.
- Mandatory real-time reporting of emergency breakdowns.
- Strengthened powers for the triple-zero custodian.
- Ability for the custodian to demand information from telcos.
- Telcos will be required to test triple-zero calls during upgrades and maintenance.
Government Response and Industry Reaction
Minister Wells emphasized the importance of rebuilding public confidence in the triple-zero service. "We know Australians' confidence in triple zero has been shaken, and it's vital that it's rebuilt," she stated. The legislation aims to ensure more active and effective monitoring of the vital service.
Optus CEO Stephen Rue described the meeting as "excellent," highlighting the importance of resilience and emergency services.
Performance Targets and Potential Penalties
In addition to the new legislation, telecommunications companies will be required to meet new performance targets for handling Triple Zero phone calls. The government will determine if penalties for failing to meet these targets will be imposed after a six-month review period. Minister Wells stated that Australians had a right to feel “white-hot angry with Optus about their catastrophic failure”.
