What happens when the phone fails?
Recent Telstra and Optus outages are a reminder that we all need a personal network.
AusAlert: Don't be alarmed
Don’t panic when your mobile phone sounds an alarm on Monday, 27 July. It will be a nationwide test of the AusAlert system, which is designed to send us information about local and national disasters.
The test will take place at the same time across Australia, which will be 2pm in Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, and Victoria, 1.30pm (South Australia and Northern Territory), and at midday in Western Australia.
It will be made clear in a screen message that its is just a test on this occasion.
During a real disaster, you may receive an alert if you have a compatible mobile phone, tablet, or smart watch.
For details, visit the AusAlert website here.
One of the things we take for granted these days is that help is only a phone call away.
But the recent outages affecting telephone and internet services have given me – an older Australian who lives alone – cause for concern.
What would I do in an emergency if I couldn’t get in touch with the outside world?
While I have a network of family and friends, they don’t live nearby. We phone and text each other, and I am quite active on social media, but there is no set schedule. Nobody would be duly concerned if I went a few days, or perhaps longer, without sending out “proof of life”.
I still work part-time, so my non-appearance in the office, or online when working from home, would raise some alarm bells. Employers have a duty of care that means they should take action under those circumstances.
But many seniors are not in that position.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 1.2 million Australians aged 65 and older live alone. That’s about one in four older people in the community.
When the phones and internet fail – as they did for Telstra customers on 8 July 2026 and for Optus customers in September 2025 – the outside world can effectively cease to exist for many people.
This can have serious, even fatal, consequences.
Why cash is king
Like the Optus outage before it, the recent Telstra system failure had wide-ranging effect on phone calls, internet connections, and even train services.
There was also an impact on digital payment services in some places.
When you can’t pay by card or digital device, cash comes to the fore.
That’s one of the reasons National Seniors Australia (NSA) has been at the forefront of the Keep Cash campaign.
For more details about the campaign, click here.
Of particular concern is the extent to which these outages affected calls to Triple Zero.
The emergency “camp-on” feature should mean that, when your provider is down, your call can still be put through using a competitors’ network. All three networks – Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone – provide this service; but it is not failproof.
We have been assured that the telcos are obliged to arrange for welfare checks on those who dial Triple Zero but fail to get through – but in the case of a serious illness or accident, that visit could occur too late.
Many seniors have emergency call pendants or watches, which can be genuine lifesavers – but they, too, are only as robust as the network they are connected to.
At the end of the day, it comes down to our community and us looking out for each other.
The next time there is a communications or power outage or other incident, we can all do our bit by looking out for a neighbour; perhaps going next door and simply asking them if they are OK.
But we shouldn’t wait for something to happen to show our concern for friends and family.
We can be proactive by arranging regular meet-ups, calls, or online messages within our community. If there’s no response, a designated person who is able to do so could follow through with a visit.
At a time when so much of our lives is conducted in a virtual space, the personal touch still matters.
When technology fails, we still have each other.
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