Optus Under Fire: Emergency Call Outage Near Melbourne Hits Thousands

Australian telecommunications company Optus experienced an emergency call outage affecting 14,000 users near Melbourne. An "aerial fibre break" is suspected to be the cause. This incident follows a previous disruption that may have contributed to four deaths. The company is investigating the issue and advising alternative call methods.

In a recent incident, Australian telecom giant Optus faced an emergency call outage near Melbourne, affecting approximately 14,000 users. This marks the second significant disruption in two months, following an earlier outage that might have played a role in four fatalities due to delayed aid.

The company, owned by Singapore Telecommunications, attributed the outage to a possible "aerial fibre break," a claim currently under investigation. Optus assured affected users that they could reach emergency services if connected to another mobile network or via WiFi calls.

This situation underscores the critical nature of maintaining robust communication infrastructure, especially for emergency services, as Optus works to resolve the underlying issues swiftly.

(With inputs from agencies.)