Call for triple-zero guarantee as telco revamp urged

An inquiry into Australia's telecommunications sector has called for a comprehensive review of the laws governing the network, including the implementation of a "triple-zero guarantee." The nationwide inquiry, sparked by a series of major outages, particularly the Optus triple-zero network failure in September 2025 that resulted in two deaths, recommends the nationalization of the emergency network.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who chairs the committee, argues that Australians should have a basic connection to telecommunications networks, including 000, and that companies should be held to standards to ensure reliable phone networks. The committee has proposed 11 recommendations, including sweeping updates to existing legislation and mandating domestic roaming for calls and texts.

Despite efforts from the Australian Telecommunications Alliance to improve network reliability, Australian telcos have not yet implemented these changes. Communications Minister Anika Wells emphasized the need for the telco sector to rebuild trust with Australians, stressing that networks must not succumb to preventable failures.