Telstra CEO to face parliamentary inquiry over nationwide mobile outage
Vicki Brady and other executives will appear before a Canberra committee on Friday regarding the disruption to emergency calls, payment systems, and train services.
Telstra chief executive Vicki Brady and other senior executives are scheduled to appear before a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra on Friday regarding a nationwide mobile network outage. The incident caused significant disruptions to critical infrastructure, including triple zero emergency calls, business payment systems, and train services across two states.
The Greens communication spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, confirmed that the committee had convened an emergency hearing to address the failure. Hanson-Young criticised the telco for prioritising profits over public safety, drawing a comparison to previous industry failures involving Optus. She argued that current legislation permits such outcomes and called for stronger laws to enforce reliable service delivery and protect consumer rights.
Hanson-Young described Telstra’s approach to compensation as the "bare minimum," stating that the company should offer automatic payments to all affected customers rather than requiring them to submit evidence. Telstra is currently accepting claims from customers and small businesses that can provide supporting documentation to substantiate their losses.
Representatives from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the communications department will also provide evidence at the inquiry. The hearing aims to determine the extent of the failure and the adequacy of the telco’s response to the widespread service interruption.
The Greens are urging the government to implement legislative changes that would force telecommunications providers to deliver more robust services. The inquiry highlights ongoing scrutiny of the sector’s ability to maintain essential communications infrastructure during high-demand periods or technical failures.
As the parliamentary proceedings commence, Telstra continues to process compensation claims from those impacted by the outage. The outcome of the inquiry is expected to influence future regulatory oversight and consumer protection frameworks within the Australian telecommunications market.
