The Australian government, led by Communications Minister Anika Wells, has issued a final warning to Optus following recent emergency call outages that resulted in at least three deaths, emphasizing that such failures must never happen again.

Wells has directed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to investigate Optus' failures, with a focus on ensuring the reliability of emergency services and holding the company accountable.

The government is also planning to fast-track legislation to appoint a dedicated custodian for the triple-zero emergency call system, which has been unstaffed for nearly a year, to improve oversight and prevent future outages.

Wells met with Optus CEO Stephen Rue, Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon, and Optus chair John Arthur to demand assurances and emphasize the need for systemic reforms and external accountability to restore public trust.

During these discussions, Wells stressed that restoring confidence in the emergency call system is a top priority, including appointing external roles to oversee improvements and ensure accountability.

Optus CEO Stephen Rue dismissed resignation calls, attributing the outages to staff errors during a network security upgrade, specifically a missed firewall update, while acknowledging the company has a lot of work to do.

Singtel's CEO Yuen Kuan Moon defended Rue’s efforts, noting that the transformation at Optus is in early stages and that resolving issues like the recent outage takes time, with investigations pointing to personnel problems.

There is a consensus that systemic changes are necessary within Optus and its parent company, Singtel, to address ongoing issues and rebuild trust.

Wells has called for Optus to employ external advisors for an independent assessment of its network plans, aiming to ensure the reliability of emergency systems.

The September 18 outage, caused by human error, led to at least three fatalities and is currently under investigation, with Optus launching an independent review led by Kerry Schott.

Optus has experienced additional outages beyond September 18, including one on September 29, highlighting persistent problems with connecting calls to emergency services.

Optus has a history of outages, including a 2023 incident that resulted in a $12 million fine for preventing Australians from contacting emergency services, illustrating ongoing sector challenges.