Australia’s TPG Telecom links customer’s death to outdated Samsung phone
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
The incident comes just two months after two back-to-back emergency call outages at Optus affected thousands and were linked to the death of four people.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
SYDNEY – Australia’s TPG Telecom said on Nov 18 that a customer died after failing to make emergency triple zero (“000”) calls on the company’s network from a Samsung device that was operating out-of-date software.
At the time of the attempted contact to the triple zero service, TPG’s mobile network was operational and no outages were occurring, it said in a statement.
The incident comes just two months after two back-to-back emergency call outages at the country’s No. 2 carrier Optus affected thousands and were linked to the death of four people,
The incidents have increased pressure on telecom providers to guarantee uninterrupted access to triple zero.
TPG Telecom, the country’s No. 3 telecoms firm, said a Sydney customer using its “Lebara” service on Nov 13 could not make triple zero calls on their Samsung device. Local media reported that the call was made on behalf of a relative, who later died.
TPG was informed of the incident by the state’s ambulance service on Nov 17, it said.
“Early investigations indicate that the failed calls were due to the customer’s Samsung device operating on software that was not compatible with making triple zero calls on the network,” TPG said in a statement.
Samsung, in an e-mail response sent to Reuters, said it was working with its “carrier partners to ensure that all devices operate reliably in every emergency situation”.
It added that it urged customers to keep their phones updated with the latest software.
“This is critical to maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and performance,” the company said.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is gathering information to investigate whether any triple zero rules were breached, the regulator said in a statement.
Late in October, ACMA disclosed that certain older Samsung devices failed to switch to an alternative mobile network when the primary network was unavailable, resulting in unsuccessful attempts to reach emergency services.
A list published online by Telstra, a rival operator, showed 11 Samsung devices that needed to be replaced and at least 60 that needed a software update to ensure compatibility with the emergency call system.
TPG said its mobile network was operational and there were no network outages when the Sydney customer attempted the emergency call.
The company had also informed customers with outdated devices to “urgently update” them as recently as Nov 7, it said.
Trading in TPG shares has been halted pending a stock issue to minority and institutional shareholders. REUTERS
