Optus Unveils Potential Triple Zero Dialing Crisis: Nearly Half a Million Phones at Risk
Optus has revealed a potential crisis involving nearly half a million Samsung devices on its network, which may struggle to dial Triple Zero (000). This revelation comes as a worst-case scenario, following recent revelations about similar issues with Vodafone and Samsung devices.
The telco informed regulators that approximately 470,000 Samsung devices using its network might be unable to call Triple Zero. This figure was presented during a Senate estimates hearing, which is investigating the impact of a flawed 3G network shutdown on Samsung models.
The issue stems from the shutdown of the 3G network, which affected Vodafone's Samsung devices, preventing them from connecting to Triple Zero. This led to a tragic incident where a customer died last month due to outdated software blocking their phone from calling emergency services.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has since taken action, with TPG blocking 7,152 affected Samsung phones and Telstra identifying 114,527 customers requiring software updates. Of these, 4,158 devices cannot be upgraded and will be blocked by January.
Telstra's testing revealed that the phones failed to connect to the Vodafone network when attempting Triple Zero calls, but only when the Telstra or Optus networks were unavailable. Optus is manually testing 470,000 phones, and a software update is expected to fix the majority.
Samsung advises that devices over seven years old may need replacement, but most affected phones can be fixed with a software upgrade. Users with impacted devices will have 28 days to update or replace their phones to avoid network blocking.
Regulations mandate that telcos notify customers if their devices cannot reach Triple Zero and take action to block such devices. ACMA is investigating potential rule breaches and has requested information from Samsung and TPG, highlighting a significant public safety risk.
This crisis further erodes confidence in the emergency call system, following an Optus outage linked to two deaths in September. The 3G network shutdown, which began in January 2024, has been a gradual process, with telcos initially focusing on 3G-only devices and older 4G models.
