Telstra CFO Michael Ackland revealed that the nationwide outage, which began at 4:30am on Wednesday, was caused by malfunctioning nodes managing time synchronisation within some of the network's data centres. Speaking at a press conference five and a half hours after detection, Ackland said the root cause remains unknown, but Telstra has identified the affected centres and is working to restore services.
Service Restoration Progress
Nearly seven hours into the outage, Telstra reported significant progress. A spokesperson stated: 'We've made good progress restoring services, with around 90 per cent of calls and data now flowing successfully across the network. Our teams are working as quickly as possible to restore remaining services and get all customers back online. We know how much our customers rely on our network and understand just how much of a disruption this is to your day. For that we're so sorry. We'll share further updates until all is resolved.'
Impact on Commuters
The outage has severely affected commuters. In Victoria, VLine reported that trains on the Bendigo, Seymour, Gippsland, Geelong, and Ballarat lines were unable to operate due to a radio network fault. Metro Trains remained largely unaffected, except for the Stony Point Line, which resumed service after an initial impact. In NSW, trains between Newcastle Interchange and Maitland on the Hunter Line stopped running, with replacement buses being organised but not yet on site. Transport for NSW advised passengers to delay travel or make alternative arrangements.
In South Australia, traffic lights were impacted, with the Traffic Management Centre unable to intervene to turn lights green during busy periods, exacerbating peak hour delays. However, the lights continue to run on a basic loop, ensuring emergency services are not affected.
Emergency Network Disruptions
Triple-0 calls were affected for some Telstra customers, though not all. Ackland noted that while Triple-0 calls were not impacted in the same way as regular calls, there have been reports of issues connecting to the emergency line. 'We have seen a small number of reports which we are investigating. We conduct welfare checks when any call to triple-0 fails,' he said, adding that findings are not yet available.
WA Police and NSW Police issued statements urging the public to ensure access to alternative devices. WA Police recommended making arrangements with neighbours or family members for emergency access, while NSW Police advised using another device, landline, or Wi-Fi calling. South Australian authorities confirmed no impact to Triple-0 callers in the state. Victoria Police stated that the outage affected police mobile and landline services but found no evidence of impact on frontline service delivery, with Triple-0 Victoria remaining fully operational.
Consumer Body Criticises Telstra
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) slammed Telstra over the outage's wide-ranging effects. CEO Carol Bennett said: 'Today's outage is more than an inconvenience. It's a reminder of how quickly an essential service can disappear. Every telco outage carries a cost — to public safety, to business operations, to social connection, and to the economy at large. Australians rely on their phones to call triple-0, to run their businesses, to stay in touch with family, and to access essential services. When that connection disappears without warning or explanation, the impact is immediate and real.'
ACCAN reiterated its call for a centralised national outage register and enforceable minimum reliability standards for telecommunications networks.
