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Telstra outage disrupts emergency calls, trains and payments across Australia
Telstra said a software defect tied to time-keeping servers, not a cyber attack, caused the 12-hour disruption, and welfare checks were carried out for six emergency-callers.
A major outage at Australia’s largest telecom provider, Telstra, disrupted mobile calls and data services starting at 04:30 local time on Wednesday, prompting cancelled train services and leaving thousands of customers without mobile coverage, according to BBC Business.
Telstra’s chief financial officer Michael Ackland said services were fully restored about 12 hours later, and he apologized for the issue. Ackland said a software defect related to time-keeping servers at data centres in Sydney and Melbourne was to blame, adding it was not a cyber attack.
The outage also affected emergency calling, with Telstra conducting welfare checks on customers who had called emergency services during the period, with six requiring immediate help. Backup systems that divert emergency calls through other mobile carriers largely worked as intended, Ackland said.
Australian government officials moved to investigate the incident, with Communications Minister Anika Wells saying the telecommunications regulator will investigate. The disruption also affected regional train services in Victoria, some regional services in New South Wales, national freight services, and payment systems, including an estimated 80,000 businesses using the Tyro app.