Telstra, Australia’s largest mobile operator, committed to improving the delivery of emergency calls after the ability of people to use the triple zero service was disrupted.

An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found Telstra failed to ensure 1,433 calls were carried as a result of network problems and breached a rule requiring telecoms providers ensure calls made to triple zero using their networks are carried to the operator of the emergency call service.

The operator said in a statement the disruption was due to the combined impact of three separate network issues: a hardware fault; fire damage to a main inter-capital fibre cable; and a software fault.

Telstra committed to improving the redundancy and diversity of its network, developing new communication protocols to be used in the event of another disruption and benchmarking its systems against international best practice.

Reducing risk
ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said: “The actions Telstra has already taken will help strengthen the emergency call service and minimise the risk of another disruption to this critical service.”

In a statement, the agency said it is also reviewing emergency call service rules to ensure they are as robust as possible in the context of current technologies and that they impose clear, consistent and appropriate obligations.

Telstra said it established a programme to address 11 recommendations made by the Department of Communications and the Arts, which conducted its own investigation, and a number of these have already been completed.