Public confidence in Australia's Triple-0 emergency service has been dealt another severe blow following the tragic death of an individual in Sydney. The incident occurred when an ageing Samsung mobile phone repeatedly failed to connect to emergency services last Thursday.
Network Investigation Reveals Software Incompatibility
TPG Telecom, which operates the Vodafone and Lebara brands in Australia, confirmed the fatality. TPG Telecom chief executive Inaki Berroeta expressed profound sympathy, stating: "This is a tragic incident, and our condolences and thoughts are with the individual's family and loved ones. Customer safety remains our highest priority. Access to emergency services is critical."
Investigations revealed that despite no network outages at the time of the emergency call attempt, the ageing Samsung device contained software incompatible with making Triple-0 calls on TPG's network, Australia's third largest telecommunications provider.
Urgent Warnings and Device Blocking Measures
TPG has identified specific Samsung models requiring immediate attention. The company has implemented a stringent policy whereby customers with affected devices have been given a five-week deadline to update their software. Those who fail to comply will have their handsets blocked from the network.
Several older Samsung models require complete replacement, including:
- Galaxy A7 2017
- Galaxy S6, S6 edge, and S6 Edge+
- Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
- Galaxy Note 5
- Galaxy J1 2016 and J3 2016
An additional 60 Samsung devices require critical software updates to maintain emergency call functionality.
Political and Regulatory Fallout Intensifies
The tragedy has triggered strong responses across the political spectrum. Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed the incident would be thoroughly investigated, stating: "My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the person who has died. TPG's compliance with the Emergency Call Service Determination will be rigorously assessed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)."
Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh criticised the response timeline, noting that opportunities to prevent this death "have not been acted on." She emphasised that text message warnings alone are insufficient, calling for direct contact with thousands of affected Samsung users.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, chair of the Senate inquiry into Triple-0 services, declared that "Australians clearly can't trust the big telcos to safely deliver the Triple-0 service," highlighting systemic issues requiring immediate government intervention.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network echoed these concerns, with chief executive Carol Bennett stating that "public safety is at risk despite clear obligations on telcos to identify affected devices, notify customers and block unsafe handsets."
Samsung Australia responded to the tragedy, expressing that the company is "deeply saddened" and confirming they are "continuing to work closely with our carrier partners to ensure that all devices operate reliably in every emergency situation."
This incident follows recent scrutiny of the telecommunications industry after an Optus outage left hundreds of Triple-0 calls unconnected, which was linked to three separate deaths. The federal government has since introduced new rules requiring telcos to report outages to regulators and emergency services in real time.
