Nationwide Optus outage leaves millions without internet or phone services

Update 9/11/2023: Optus mobile and internet services have now been restored across the country. Optus advises customers that a modem or device restart may be required to reconnect; if you’re a customer and still experiencing issues, please contact Optus support on 133 937.

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has said that the telco will not be refunding customers after the outage. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told ABC News that the decision was unacceptable.

“There is a reasonable expectation from Australians that if they are done wrong, if there is an outage of this nature that causes them to suffer loss in some way – be that economic or otherwise – that corporations will do the right thing by them.”

“I urge that in every case from corporate Australia, including this one.”

Ms Rowland confirmed that the Albanese Government will launch a post-incident review into the outage. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has also commenced an independent investigation into Optus’ compliance with telco industry rules regarding customer access to emergency services.

Update 1.00pm AEDT: An Optus spokesperson has told the media that services across mobile and fixed-line internet are “gradually being restored”, but that it may take a few hours for all customers to be back online. The telco has also acknowledged that calls to emergency services may be affected by the outage.

“We reiterate our apology to customers for the nationwide service outage that has occurred this morning,” the spokesperson said.

“We are aware of some mobile phones having issues connecting to 000. If Optus customers need to call emergency services, we suggest trying to find an alternative device.”

Millions of Aussies have been cut off from home mobile and broadband after the Optus network suffered a widespread overnight outage. At the time of publication, the Optus outage was ongoing.

The network fault impacted both residential and business customers, leaving households unable to make or receive calls or access affected internet services. It also caused chaos for early-morning commuters, with Melbourne’s Metro Trains network pausing services due to the “communications outage”.

Some health services in major cities were also impacted, according to reports, including phone lines across Northern Health campuses in Melbourne and Westmead Hospital in Sydney. It was also reported that CommBank app users experienced issues with online banking, despite not being Optus phone or internet customers. CommBank has since informed customers that its branches, ATMS, apps and merchant terminals are back online, but SMS notifications may still be delayed.

We’re aware of an issue impacting Optus mobile and nbn services and are working to restore services as quickly as possible. We understand connectivity is important and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

— Optus Help (@optus_help) November 7, 2023

Why is the Optus network down?

Optus’ website homepage warned “there is an issue impacting Optus Mobile, Fixed Internet and Phone services and [sic] are working to restore services as quickly as possible”, while the telco’s network status map noted that its engineers were “investigating a network fault”.

Optus has more than 10 million customers across its mobile, internet, entertainment and other related business units, with a mobile network that reaches 98.5% of the population, according to the telco’s LinkedIn page.

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin told ABC Radio Sydney that as of 10.30am AEDT, the telco is yet to determine the cause of the outage – but employees “will not rest” until services are back online.

“Our team is still pursuing every possible avenue. We had a number of hypotheses and each one so far that we’ve tested and put in place new actions for has not resolved the fundamental issue. So we’re still working on it. And when we have a identified root cause and a time for restoration, we’ll be updating everybody as soon as we can.”

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Data supplied by DownDetector – a site that offers real-time reports and monitoring of network outages across Australia – indicated that Optus users first reported problems around 4am AEDT, with more than 8,200 complaints logged at 6am AEDT.

The Optus outage also hit several smaller telcos piggybacking on Optus services. Optus-owned prepaid operator Amaysim advised its customers of an ongoing outage, and DownDetector data shows other providers such as Aussie Broadband, Dodo, and iPrimus are also impacted.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has urged Optus to keep customers updated.

“We rely so much on our communications devices, including for consuming media. And when that isn’t available, that is noticeable. I think it is important for Optus to continue to step up. Customers expect this. Customers are clearly frustrated about it and Optus should respond to that accordingly.”

We’ll update this page with more information as it becomes available.

I’m an Optus customer – what should I do?

If you’re one of the millions of customers still stuck without mobile or home internet, you have little choice but to sit tight and wait for Optus to resolve the outage. Optus has informed customers that its engineers are currently investigating the issue, with a spokesperson telling Canstar Blue the team is still working to identify the cause.

Although customers currently don’t have access to 3G, 4G, or 5G network coverage, you’ll still be able to dial 000 in case of an emergency. If your home internet is unaffected, you may be able to make calls over WiFi if available, or use VoIP/’over-the-top’ internet messaging services (such as WhatsApp, WeChat, or Facebook Messenger) to stay in touch with friends and family.

Depending on your location, you may also have access to one of Telstra’s 15,000 public payphones, which have been free to use since late 2022. You can use any Telstra payphone to call not only emergency services, but also standard fixed line and mobile numbers across Australia entirely free of charge.

While network outages do happen, an ongoing and country-wide disruption may be the final straw for many Optus users, particularly those who stuck by the telco after the 2022 cyberattack that compromised the data of millions of customers.

Related: The best phone plans on the Optus network

Should I switch my mobile plan?

If you’re considering switching, you can find smaller and lower-priced telcos that still use the Optus network, including Moose Mobile, Southern Phone, and the aforementioned Amaysim. However, keep in mind that any provider using Optus services is still going to be affected by future network outages.

If you’re like to steer clear of Optus completely, you may want to consider a telco using the Telstra or Vodafone networks. Belong, ALDI Mobile, Boost Mobile and Tangerine all use the Telstra network, while Vodafone network providers include Felix Mobile, Kogan Mobile, iiNet and TPG.

Whichever telco you choose, make sure to consider how much you’re willing to spend per month, how much data you need, and the type of network coverage you require before you sign up. You can compare a range of SIM-only plans in the tables below.

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