Trust in Australia’s Triple-0 system has taken a major new hit after another death was linked to failed attempts to reach emergency services.
TPG, which also operates the Vodafone and Lebara brands in Australia, revealed a person died last Thursday when a Samsung phone could not make Triple-0 calls.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Person dies after failed Triple-0 calls.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
“This is a tragic incident, and our condolences and thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” TPG Telecom chief executive Inaki Berroeta said.
“Customer safety remains our highest priority. Access to emergency services is critical.”
At the time the Sydney-based caller attempted to reach the emergency hotline through Lebara, there were no outages and the telco’s network was operational.
Early investigations indicate the calls failed because the customer’s ageing Samsung phone was using software incompatible with making Triple-0 calls.
Some older devices had been identified by Samsung as needing a software update to be able to call the emergency line on TPG’s network, the third largest in Australia.
Though the death occurred on Thursday, TPG Telecom was not informed until Monday, when it received advice from NSW Ambulance.
TPG has urged customers with affected devices to update their phones and anyone that has not done so after five weeks will have their handset blocked.
Other telcos have taken identical measures since the Samsung-specific issue with the Vodafone network was discovered by Telstra and Optus in late October.
“We urge all customers with outdated software to replace or update their devices without delay to ensure they can reach Triple-0 in an emergency,” Berroeta said.
Experts have told 7NEWS that many people, particularly the elderly, are afraid to update their phones after receiving messages, worried it could be a scam.
Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells said the latest death was a “tragic situation that will be investigated”.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the person who has died,” Wells said.
“TPG’s compliance with the Emergency Call Service Determination will be rigorously assessed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).”
ACMA said appropriate enforcement action will be taken if any breaches are identified.
“Public safety and reliable access to emergency services are of paramount importance,” a spokesperson said.
“Under rules introduced in 2024, telecommunications providers must notify their customers where the provider identifies that the customer’s device may not be able to connect to Triple-0 and then take action to block those devices from their networks.”
The telecommunications industry has been under immense scrutiny in recent months after an Optus outage that left hundreds of Triple-0 calls unable to be connected and was linked to three deaths.
Optus’s chief executive Stephen Rue has so far survived calls for his sacking and has been hauled before parliament to be grilled about his company’s six-hour delay in informing ACMA and Wells.
The federal government has introduced new rules that require telcos to report outages to the communications watchdog and emergency services in real time.
But Melissa McIntosh, the opposition’s communications spokesperson, said on Tuesday that opportunities to prevent this latest death “have not been acted on”.
“I have been warning about this and trying to pull every lever for the Government to act, from amendments to legislation, calling for a public register of outages and listing our Triple-0 network as an essential service,” McIntosh said.
“The Minister must act now and direct all telecommunications providers to immediately check in with each of the thousands of Samsung device holders to ensure they have either updated the software on their phone or have secured a replacement device.
“Text messages to update software aren’t good enough.”
‘Australians clearly can’t trust the big telcos’
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, chair of the Senate inquiry into the Optus outage, said “Australians clearly can’t trust the big telcos to safely deliver the Triple-0 service”.
“There are serious systemic issues that need close scrutiny and action from government,” Hanson-Young said.
“ACMA cannot be left to carry out the investigations into these issues alone. They have already demonstrated that they are not up to regulating the big telcos and that they have been asleep at the wheel when it comes to issues with Triple-0.
“The Senate inquiry into Triple-0 service outage will hold another hearing in December and will be closely looking at this latest issue.”
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief executive Carol Bennett said the incident raises serious concerns about how the country’s emergency call system is functioning.
“Public safety is at risk despite clear obligations on telcos to identify affected devices, notify customers and block unsafe handsets,” Bennett said.
“If those obligations were not met, Australians deserve answers. Confidence in ACMA’s oversight has been shaken, and there must be full transparency about whether compliance monitoring has been adequate.”
Samsung said it is “deeply saddened” by news of the death and offered condolences to the person’s family and loved ones.
“We are continuing to work closely with our carrier partners to ensure that all devices operate reliably in every emergency situation,” a spokesperson said.
“We strongly encourage customers to keep their mobile devices updated with the latest software, as this is critical to maintaining the highest standards of safety, security, and performance.
“Customers with mobile devices requiring updates or replacements have been notified by their mobile carrier with instructions.”
Samsung phones requiring replacement
- Galaxy A7 2017
- Galaxy A5 2017
- Galaxy J1 2016
- Galaxy J3 2016
- Galaxy J5 2017
- Galaxy Note 5
- Galaxy S6
- Galaxy S6 edge
- Galaxy S6 Edge+
- Galaxy S7
- Galaxy S7 Edge
Another 60 Samsung devices require a software update if they don’t already have it.
