Optus, Telstra and TPG forced to explain how to call triple-0 during outage in wake of disasters

Optus, Telstra and TPG have been forced to come together and explain how triple-0 calls can get through to emergency services after a series of outages across the country in recent times.

The trio of leading mobile network operators on Monday launched a public service campaign, along with the triple-0 Custodian - which is a government office established last year to oversee the whole triple-0 system.

“This campaign provides Australians with practical information about how their phone connects to emergency services and what they should do if their usual network is unavailable,” Optus spokeswoman Jane McNamara said.

“By raising awareness of safeguards such as emergency camp-on and providing simple guidance people can use in a high-pressure situation, we’re helping Australians better prepare for the moments when reliable access to triple-0 matters most.”

In September 2025, an Optus outage meant triple-0 calls in South Australia, WA, the NT and far west NSW could not be made.

Two deaths have been linked to the 14-hour outage, in which 75 per cent of 605 triple-0 calls failed.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is suing Optus, alleging two different legal obligations were breached more than 1000 times. Optus commissioned an independent report into the outage, which found multiple failures during a routine upgrade by Optus and contractor Nokia.

This week’s joint campaign explains the different messages different phones and networks display when network coverage is not working. The campaign explains the “emergency camp-on” system, where a person’s phone call will bounce from their unavailable network to another network, if there is another network available.

People trying to “camp-on” when calling triple-0 will usually hear silence for the first five seconds of the call. If that first call doesn’t connect, people need to hang up and try again. On subsequent attempts, a caller should stay on the call as it tries to connect, for up to 60 seconds.

The Australian Telecommunications Alliance is the sector’s peak body, and chief executive Luke Coleman said the campaign was an attempt to equip people for stressful situations.

“Our priority is to ensure Australians are equipped with simple advice they can recall and use in a worst-case scenario if they need to call triple-0 and find their usual network is unavailable,” he said.

If “emergency camp-on” is available, an iPhone will show ‘SOS’ or ‘SOS only’. Android will show ‘Emergency calls only’, ‘No service – emergency calls only’, or an SOS icon.

If the phone shows ‘No service’, there is absolutely no mobile network. In that instance, someone trying to call for help needs to try and find a landline, a payphone, or find Wi-Fi.

Originally published as Optus, Telstra and TPG forced to explain how to call triple-0 during outage in wake of disasters