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Optus failed to act on early warning signs during triple-zero outage, review finds

Optus Faces Criticism Over 14-Hour Network Outage

Summary:

An independent review found that at least 10 mistakes were made by Optus and its contractor Nokia during a network upgrade in September, leading to a 14-hour outage and failure of 455 out of 605 emergency calls. Optus has pledged to swiftly implement recommendations to improve processes around upgrades and address the siloed nature of work at the company.

What This Means for You:

  • A lack of care and adherence to procedure during network upgrades can lead to significant service disruptions and impact emergency services.
  • Telecommunications companies should improve their processes around upgrades, address siloed work, and ensure better communication and escalation procedures.
  • Consider the potential impact of technological changes on emergency call systems and the need for updated standards and requirements for devices and carriers.
  • Regulators should continue working to improve the system’s resilience and review licenses and conditions of providers that fail to meet critical requirements, like access to triple zero.

Original Post:

The 14-hour outage during a network upgrade in September hit South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of far-west NSW. Of 605 emergency calls in that time, 455 failed to connect. An independent review, released by Optus on Thursday, found there were at least 10 mistakes by the company and its contractor Nokia during the upgrade.
It took Optus and Nokia 13 hours to understand the problem, with an Optus call centre not escalating early concerns from five people who said their triple-zero calls weren’t working. Optus and Nokia also “astoundingly” attributed early alerts about the problem at a networks operations centre to the fact upgrades were happening.
Once Optus was aware of the issue it was fixed within minutes.
“The real tragedy here was the duration of the triple-zero call outage and the failure of Optus and its contractors to deal immediately with the warning signals they received,” Schott said.
The origin of the outage was a failure to divert voice calls, including emergency calls, before closing a gateway at an exchange station in South Australia.
“The first of the 10 mistakes was incorrect instructions being sent to Nokia about the upgrade process, the report said.”
“The mistakes could only be explained by a lack of care and lack of adherence to procedure, Schott said.”
Optus has pledged to swiftly implement all 21 recommendations of the report, including for better processes around upgrades and addressing the siloed nature of work at the company.
The telco’s chairman, John Arthur, said the failures were unacceptable and the board was taking further action against individuals, including financial penalties and potentially sackings.

“We are deeply sorry for the 18 September outage that impacted triple-zero services and the consequences for any Australians who were trying to reach emergency services,” he said.

Schott said it was puzzling only 66 callers were able to “camp-on” — a process where emergency calls are redirected through another network.

Extra Information:

Learn more about the National Triple Zero Database and its Community Information Paper to understand the importance of emergency call services and their resilience.

Explore the Triple Zero Review conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to stay informed about the industry’s efforts to improve emergency call systems.

People Also Ask:

  • What caused the Optus network outage in September 2022? The outage was caused by mistakes during a network upgrade, including incorrect instructions sent to Nokia and a lack of care and adherence to procedure.
  • How many emergency calls failed during the Optus network outage? Of the 605 emergency calls during the outage, 455 failed to connect.
  • How long did it take for Optus to fix the outage? Once Optus was aware of the issue, it was fixed within minutes.
  • What actions is Optus taking to prevent similar outages in the future? Optus has pledged to swiftly implement 21 recommendations from the independent review, including improving processes around upgrades and addressing the siloed nature of work.
  • Who is responsible for the Optus network outage? The outage was caused by mistakes from both Optus and its contractor Nokia during a network upgrade.

Expert Opinion:

The Optus network outage underscores the critical importance of proper communication, adherence to procedure, and regular review of emergency call systems to ensure they can withstand technological changes and human error. It serves as a reminder for telecommunications companies to invest in resilience and prioritize customer safety.

Key Terms:

  • Optus Network Outage
  • Emergency Calls
  • Network Upgrades
  • Telecommunications Resilience
  • Communications and Media Authority
  • Triple Zero Review
  • Nokia Contractor
  • Escalation Procedures
  • Network Gateway
  • Network Silos


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