Optus Emergency Call Outage Hits Melbourne, 14,000 Users Affected
Australia's telecommunications giant, Optus, faced another significant service disruption on November 26, 2025, when an emergency call outage struck near Melbourne. This incident, impacting approximately 14,000 users, comes just two months after a much broader national network failure that authorities suggested might have contributed to three fatalities due to delayed emergency assistance.
Investigation Underway for "Aerial Fibre Break"
The recent outage primarily affected the Melbourne region, preventing customers from dialling critical emergency services. Optus, a subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), promptly initiated an investigation, identifying a potential "aerial fibre break" as the root cause of the disruption. While the exact reason is still being probed, the company has communicated alternative solutions for affected users.
Guidance for Affected Customers
Customers within the affected zones have been advised that they can still reach emergency services if their mobile device is within the coverage range of another network provider or if they are able to place calls via a WiFi connection. This critical advice highlights the importance of network resilience and fallback options, especially for essential services.
Mounting Concerns Over Network Reliability
This latest incident underscores ongoing concerns regarding the stability and reliability of major telecommunications infrastructure in Australia. The previous nationwide outage in September had already raised alarms about the dependency on single network providers and the potential for widespread societal impact when vital communication lines fail. As investigations continue, public scrutiny on Optus's infrastructure and contingency plans is expected to intensify.
