Optus calls in consultants for mobile network review after Triple Zero failures

Optus is bringing on consultancy firm Kearney to "provide additional oversight" for its mobile network in the wake of the outages of its emergency call services.

The Singtel-owned telco announced it has hired the US-founded consultancy firm to "begin immediate oversight, quality assurance and verification" of its mobile network management and processes.

The decision follows impromptu meetings between Communications Minister Anika Wells, Singtel group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon, Optus CEO Stephen Rue and chairman John Arthur.

Announcing the move, Arthur said Kearney will report directly to Rue and the board.

"We will also cooperate fully and transparently with the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s investigation into this issue," he said in a statement.

"The Optus board... supported by the best external expertise, will undertake the critical reforms to continue to transform the business, and strengthen the Optus mobile network, restoring the confidence and trust of the Australian public," he added.

Arthur also issued another apology "to all those impacted by the 18 September outage".

The crisis talks come a week after an Optus firewall upgrade stopped customers in two states and one territory from reaching Triple Zero services.

The telco is facing multiple separate investigations related to the firewall incident.

One of the questions to be answered is why calls were not routed via other mobile networks during the incidents.

Days later, it experienced another, albeit smaller-scale, incident where nine customers in NSW's Illawarra region could not get through to emergency services.

In response to calls for the resignation of Rue, who ascended to the CEO role 11 months ago, Yuen said on September 30 that it would take time for Rue to transform the telco's ongoing issues.

Yuen, who flew from Singapore to meet with Australian authorities, said: “We brought in Stephen 11 months ago to transform Optus, to really address the issues that we had since 2022-23."

“It is very early days. It takes time to transform a company.”

Singtel is owned by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings.