A significant network failure at telecommunications giant Optus has left tens of thousands of customers in Queensland unable to contact emergency services, marking another severe disruption for the beleaguered provider.
The outage, which unfolded throughout Wednesday, has impacted home phones and NBN connections across a swathe of the state. Major population centres including Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Toowoomba, Mackay, and Rockhampton have all been affected.
Widespread Service Disruption Across Queensland
The exact scale of the problem is still being assessed, but reports indicate that approximately 93,000 homes have been left without reliable service. The most critical consequence is the confirmed inability for a large number of these customers to dial triple-zero (000), Australia's emergency services number.
Optus has acknowledged the crisis on its website, stating it is aware of an outage impacting customers across Brisbane and "certain parts of Queensland." In a notice, the company said, "We sincerely apologise for the disruption and thank customers for their patience while our teams work as quickly as possible to restore services."
Another Blow for Embattled Telco
This incident represents another major operational disaster for Optus, which is still working to rebuild its reputation following a catastrophic nationwide outage in late 2023. That previous event crippled mobile and internet services for millions, drawing intense scrutiny from regulators and the government.
The current failure, while geographically concentrated in Queensland, raises renewed questions about the resilience and redundancy of the company's core infrastructure. The fact that it impedes access to life-saving emergency services significantly escalates the severity of the situation.
Ongoing Response and Customer Impact
Engineers from Optus are currently working to identify the root cause and restore full service. Customers in the affected regions are advised to use a mobile phone from an alternative network if they need to contact emergency services.
For many residents and businesses, the outage has caused more than just an inconvenience; it has created a genuine safety concern. The incident underscores the critical nature of reliable telecommunications infrastructure, particularly for vulnerable individuals who may rely on landlines.
The company is expected to face further investigation and potential penalties from communications authorities once services are stabilised and a full technical report is compiled.
