Telstra suffered a major national network outage on 8 July, cutting mobile calls and data for customers across the country and disrupting some Triple Zero emergency calls. The regulator has since confirmed it will investigate.

• What happened: A software fault in timekeeping servers at Telstra's Sydney and Melbourne data centres disrupted mobile calls and data nationally from around 4:30am, with services largely restored by 4pm the same day. A second, related issue affected some calls the following day.
• Who was affected: Telstra customers nationwide, plus mobile virtual network operators that run on the Telstra network, including Boost Mobile, Belong, Aldi Mobile and Tangerine.
• The risk: Some Triple Zero emergency calls failed to connect, prompting welfare checks by Telstra and police. Businesses relying on mobile connectivity for EFTPOS, remote access, or authentication experienced disruption.
• What's next: The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has confirmed a full investigation, and Telstra has indicated affected customers may be offered compensation.

If your business depends on mobile connectivity for payments, remote access, or two-factor authentication, this is a good reminder to have a backup plan, such as a secondary SIM or landline, for when your primary carrier goes down.

Source: SBS News