Tragic Death Highlights Emergency Call Compatibility Crisis
A customer has died following a failed attempt to connect to emergency services, raising serious questions about device compatibility on mobile networks. The incident occurred when a relative tried to dial triple-0 using a Samsung handset on TPG Telecom's budget Lebara service, but the call could not connect due to outdated software.
TPG, which owns the Vodafone network, confirmed it was notified of the customer's death last Thursday after receiving advice from NSW Ambulance on Monday afternoon. The company stated its network was 'fully operational' at the time of the attempted emergency call and no service outages had occurred.
Software Incompatibility Blamed for Failed Emergency Call
Instead of network failure, TPG identified the cause as the customer's Samsung phone running 'software that was not compatible with making triple-0 calls on the network'. The telecommunications giant had recently discovered this incompatibility issue, which affects various older Samsung phone models and requires users to activate a specific software update.
TPG Chief Executive Inaki Berroeta expressed his condolences, stating: 'This is a tragic incident, and our condolences and thoughts are with the individual's family and loved ones.' He emphasised that 'customer safety remains our highest priority' and urgently called on all customers with outdated software to replace or update their devices without delay.
Growing Pattern of Emergency Service Failures
This tragedy comes less than two months after three deaths were linked to an Optus network outage in September, where more than 600 calls to triple-0 failed. The victims included an eight-week-old boy, a 68-year-old woman from South Australia, and a 74-year-old man in Western Australia.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority had previously warned that some Samsung phones released between 2015 and 2017 could not automatically transfer emergency calls to TPG's Vodafone network during outages. TPG confirmed it had been communicating with customers about the incompatibility issue and has alerted relevant government agencies and regulators.
Alarmingly, the most recent communication to customers with outdated phones was sent on November 7, just six days before the customer's death. Under new regulations, telecommunications companies are required to block non-compliant handsets after a 28-35 day period.
Federal opposition communications spokesperson Melissa McIntosh MP had warned last month about the industry's handling of device compatibility issues tied to the 3G shutdown, noting that 'Telstra and Optus have failed to identify this issue until more than a year after the closure of the 3G network.'
While the Optus failure is currently the subject of a Federal Senate investigation, the latest investigation into the TPG tragedy remains ongoing as authorities work to prevent further loss of life from emergency call failures.
