TPG Telecom has reported another potential triple zero call-related customer fatality linked to the use of a Samsung mobile handset model with a known emergency calling limitation.
The mobile network operator’s chief executive Iñaki Berroeta informed the government of the potential new fatality in evidence he gave to parliament’s triple zero inquiry.
The potential new fatality predates another incident in November.
In his opening statement, Berroeta told the committee that the incident it has newly-discovered took place at Wentworth Falls in the NSW Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, in September.
After reminding the committee of the incident the carrier reported in November, Berroeta said of the Wentworth Falls incident:
“We have also provided information to the (Australian Communications and Media Authority) in respect of another customer who was reported to us could not make triple zero calls in September this year. That customer was able to contact emergency services via an alternative option after five minutes.
“Yesterday, we were told that the call might have been made in connection to someone who has passed away,” Berroeta said.
He said that to the best of his understanding, the customer in Wentworth Falls was unable to connect to triple zero, but managed to reach emergency services after five minutes via a 1800 relay service.
Berroeta said that the customer may have passed away later, but that TPG Telecom was still trying to confirm exact details about the incident.
“We were told that the ambulance arrived, but we don’t know any details after that,” Berroeta told the committee.
TPG Telecom released a statement to the ASX regarding the possible second fatality, telling the market that it had sought to clarify the circumstances around the customer’s passing but that it was yet to verify them with emergency services.
When asked why TPG Telecom was not informed of the possible September incident earlier, Berroeta said: “I have no idea. I don’t know.”
Berroeta told the committee that carrier had "for months" been contacting the customer who it said may have died September warning them to update their handset to ensure it could place emergency call correctly.
Emergency calling configuration
Berroeta was referring to a firmware configuration problem that Telstra identified late October as impacting 71 Samsung handset models.
The firmware problem prevents the handsets from camping on to TPG Telecom’s Vodafone-branded 3G network when the handset's home network is unavailable.
That means that, when Telstra’s network and that of its commercial rival Optus’ were not available, the devices were unable to correctly switch to TPG Telecom’s Vodafone-branded network correctly to place calls.
As iTnews has reported since, Samsung tried to push software updates to 60 of the 71 handsets that could be updated to make them capable of placing emergency calls on TPG Telecom’s 4G network.
TPG Telecom has conceded in statement’s to iTnews that widespread emergency calling was not possible on its 4G network until 2021 when it turned on eVoLTE.
TPG Telecom only began testing VoLTE for emergency calling across the 4G layer of its network in earnest around 2020.
It then began supporting wide use of the emergency calling compatible component of VoLTE, called eVoLTE, across its 4G network in 2021.
Samsung told iTnews that from July 2021, the handset maker pushed software updates to 60 handset models on the list of 71 devices carriers have slated to block unless they are soon patched.
The patch should have updated the handset’s calling capabilities to allow them to camp on to TPG Telecom’s 4G network, allowing triple zero calls to be placed reliably.
September fatality
In his opening statement, Berroeta also provided the inquiry with more details about a separate incident that also resulted in a customer fatality in November.
Berroeta said that in March last year, Samsung told TPG Telecom that the mobile handset model used by the customer was capable of placing emergency calls on the carrier’s 4G network.
However, on November 5, he said that Samsung provided “additional information”, informing the carrier that the devices required the customer to accept a software update to enable the triple zero calling capability on its 4G network.
TPG Telecom notified the customer by text message that the phone needed to accept the update November 7, Berroeta told the committee.
Otherwise, it told the customer, the device would be blocked from December 10.
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