Singtel Apologizes for Optus Outage Affecting Emergency Calls

Singtel, owner of Australia's Optus, issued an apology for a network outage affecting emergency calls, potentially linked to four deaths. The incident, caused by a network firewall upgrade, is under investigation. An independent review led by Kerry Schott will assess the failure and management processes.

Singtel, the parent company of Australia's second-largest telco, Optus, apologized Wednesday for a network outage that may have resulted in four deaths. The disruption, which affected emergency services in some regions, has prompted a thorough investigation by both the company and independent reviewers.

CEO Yuen Kuan Moon expressed regret over the incident, highlighting its impact on vital triple-0 emergency calls. The company is cooperating with governmental bodies to understand the failure's root cause and prevent future occurrences.

Initial investigations link the disruption to an upgrade in the network firewall, exacerbated by human error. Optus is undergoing internal reviews while AGL Energy's Kerry Schott leads an external inquiry, expected to complete by year-end, with results shared publicly.

(With inputs from agencies.)