Full Breakdown
Optus Mobile Service Outage Affects Thousands in Australia
2/10/2026, 9:25:58 PM
Overview of the Outage
On February 9, 2025, Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecommunications company, experienced a significant mobile service outage that initially affected approximately 220,000 customers. By the evening of the same day, the number of impacted users had decreased to around 60,000, as many were able to restore service by restarting their devices. Optus confirmed the disruptions and stated that customers could still make emergency calls despite the outage.
Background and Context
This outage follows a previous incident on September 18, 2025, which had severe consequences, including the deaths of three individuals who were unable to reach emergency services due to service disruptions. An independent review led by Dr. Kerry Schott attributed two of these deaths directly to the outage. The incident prompted Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to criticize Optus for its failure to provide reliable service, labeling it an "unacceptable failure."
Cause of the Outage
Singtel, the parent company of Optus, later reported that the February outage was caused by vandals who cut a fiber cable in Mornington Peninsula, located south of Melbourne. This act of vandalism led to the widespread service disruptions experienced by Optus customers.
Official Statements & Responses
Optus issued a statement acknowledging the outage and advising customers experiencing issues to restart their phones. The company expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to its users. An Optus spokesperson noted, “We have seen a further significant reduction in impacted customers, around 60,000 remain, with the majority of customers already having restored services after restarting their phones.”
Criticism & Opposition
The repeated outages have drawn criticism from both the public and government officials. Prime Minister Albanese's earlier comments regarding the September outage reflect ongoing concerns about Optus's reliability. The Australian public's trust in the telecommunications provider has been shaken, particularly given the serious implications of the previous outage.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
While initial reports indicated that 220,000 customers were affected, subsequent updates from Optus and other sources suggested that the number of users still experiencing issues had decreased to around 60,000. There remains uncertainty regarding the exact cause of the February outage, with some reports indicating that Optus was unsure about the specifics before the vandalism explanation was provided.
What's Next
As investigations into the February outage continue, Optus faces scrutiny regarding its infrastructure and response protocols. The company will need to address these issues to restore customer confidence and prevent future incidents.
