2025-12-18
Quotes attributable to Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for communications and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Triple 0 service outage:
“This is a damning report of the culture within Optus, their contractor Nokia and the entire Triple 0 system. It is deeply concerning to see laid bare how many mistakes were made along the way and how Optus did not have the processes in place to manage such a failure.
“Optus’ failures were systematic and widespread. Optus failed at every step - they failed to keep their customers safe and failed to ensure the public and government were informed. The company prioritised its own interests over the needs and concerns of its customers and stakeholders.
“For too long, Optus has put profits ahead of safety and its customers. The company must face serious consequences for its failure.
“The Government must now review Optus' licence and licence conditions. Going soft on the telco is not an option.
“The Government must lead an urgent review into the camp-on provisions that also failed in this incident. It is simply not good enough to have calls taking 40-60 seconds to connect and this needs urgent action.
“The Triple 0 system is clearly not fit for purpose and requires a serious overhaul, to ensure it both works and is trusted by all Australians. Big telcos like Optus view the delivery of emergency service calls as a chore, not as an essential service.
“The ACMA has failed to hold these big companies to account. It’s an open secret that ACMA is a light touch on industry, putting public safety at risk. It’s time for a root and branch review and new leadership of the regulator.
“Optus and Singtel representatives will be called back before the Senate inquiry early 2026.”