WA Vodafone customers cop 56-hour data blackout

Vodafone mobile customers in Western Australia were without GPRS data services over the weekend when a hardware fault caused a 56-hour GPRS blackout.

Although voice and SMS services remained functional, data services such as email and corporate virtual private networks were out of action from 12.30am on Saturday, May 17, until 8.00am on Monday, May 19.

Vodafone claimed its mobile broadband services were also unaffected, but iTnews readers have suggested otherwise.

“I couldn’t update my Facebook status or see what other people were doing whilst I was out riding my bike,” said iTnews reader, Phillip North.

“This also meant there were multiple four-to-six hour windows where I had no access to Facebook whatsoever.”

A Vodafone spokesperson said the blackout was caused by an isolated hardware fault at one of its mobile email exchanges.

The faulty hardware was replaced by 2.00pm (4.00pm EST) on Saturday, May 17, while further network synchronisation completed on Monday restored services to the majority of affected WA customers.

All voice, SMS and mobile broadband services, which use either Vodafone's GSM or 3G broadband network, continued to operate as normal throughout the weekend.

Vodafone said that once GPRS services were restored in Western Australia, all outstanding mobile emails were delivered.

Vodafone did not disclose the number of customers affected by the blackout.

The company did, however, express its regret at any inconvenience caused to customers in Western Australia.