Singtel apologized for a 13-hour Optus outage in Australia that blocked emergency calls, possibly causing deaths.

Singtel apologized on September 24, 2025, for a 13-hour Optus network outage in Australia that disrupted emergency 000 calls, potentially contributing to multiple deaths. The failure, caused by a flawed firewall upgrade, affected services across two states and the Northern Territory, prompting outrage and calls of “completely unacceptable” from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon expressed deep regret and confirmed cooperation with Optus’ board to investigate. Optus CEO Stephen Rue acknowledged possible human error and protocol failures. An independent review led by Kerry Schott is underway to examine technical, emergency, and operational aspects, with findings expected by year-end.