- Optus’s chief technology officer has resigned following a government review that highlighted 000 emergency call handling failures during a major outage.
- The departure underscores increasing scrutiny of telecom reliability and emergency response infrastructure in Australia.
What happened: Optus CTO exits after damning triple-zero review
Optus has announced the departure of its chief technology officer in the wake of a highly critical report into the handling of emergency calls during a network outage. The executive’s exit follows findings that identified significant shortcomings in how Optus’s systems responded when users attempted to reach 000, Australia’s emergency services number, during the disruption.
The review, conducted by independent authorities and commissioned by the Australian government, examined Optus’s performance during a service interruption that affected mobile and internet customers. It concluded that parts of the network and backend systems did not adequately prioritise or support emergency call traffic, potentially jeopardising public safety.
Optus said the CTO’s resignation was effective immediately and that the company is conducting a leadership transition as it reinforces its operational and emergency response capabilities. The operator also reaffirmed its commitment to customers and regulators to address the issues raised in the report.
Industry stakeholders noted that the report’s findings were unusually direct in highlighting gaps in preparedness and response for critical communications. Telecom networks are expected to prioritise 000 and equivalent services under national standards, given the life-or-death nature of such calls.
While Optus acknowledged the report’s conclusions, it also pointed to broader industry efforts to bolster emergency communications resilience. The company has outlined plans to invest in network redundancy, improved monitoring and closer collaboration with emergency agencies to ensure that similar failures do not recur.
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Why it’s important
The departure of a senior technology leader over emergency call handling reflects heightened regulatory and public expectations for telecom reliability. Modern mobile networks carry vast amounts of everyday traffic, but they must also remain robust under stress and ensure that emergency services are reachable at all times.
Failure to do so can erode consumer trust, invite regulatory penalties and trigger formal reviews, as seen in this case. Telecom operators worldwide face similar pressures to balance innovation with the imperative to maintain essential public safety functions.
In Australia, where mobile penetration is high and many households rely on wireless services, ensuring that emergency calls are protected even during outages has risen up the policy agenda. The Optus case may prompt greater scrutiny of peers and inspire broader industry standards or legislative action to safeguard public safety communications.
The episode also highlights that leadership accountability is increasingly tied to network performance. As operators roll out next-generation technologies such as 5G, maintaining core services under all conditions will remain a critical measure of their operational maturity.
