Telecommunications outage
Mobile, broadband or WiFi outages can happen anytime for many reasons, such as damage to infrastructure or power outages.
For example, during a power outage, you might not be able to connect to the NBN or to charge your mobile phone. Mobile towers also need power to operate.
If telecommunications go down, emergency services, volunteers, and providers will be working hard to restore service. In the meantime, you can help them by making sure you can keep yourself safe.
With a little knowledge and preparation, you can minimise the impact of connectivity outages on you and your family.
During a telecommunications outage
If you find yourself without telecommunications in an emergency, don’t wait for a warning. Get ready and leave early.
Keeping informed during emergencies
Plan ahead so that you have a many different ways to receive information during an emergency.
If you have power, monitor your local radio and television stations, as well as emergency services websites and social media, for up-to-date warnings and information.
Follow advice. Listen to emergency personnel on the ground and Emergency Alert phone messages if you receive one.
What to do if a telecommunications outage occurs
Check with a neighbour to see if they have also lost connectivity. If your neighbour is still connected, the issue might be specific to your devices or property.
Information about the status of a telecommunications outage is available on your service provider’s website, on their Twitter feed, by calling the faults and emergencies number on your latest bill or by signing up for SMS notifications through your distributor.
If you have a siren in your area, pay attention if it sounds for more than five minutes – it means an emergency is occurring.
Keep safe and keep connected however you can. Please check in on people around you - neighbours living alone, the elderly, the very young, and people with a pre-existing medical condition.
If there is a medical emergency and you are unable to call Triple Zero (000), you should travel to your closest hospital.
After a telecommunications outage
Once the outage has been fixed, your mobile or broadband connectivity should return automatically. You might need to restart some of your devices. In some situations, you might need to restart your modem.
Contact your retail provider if you have trouble reconnecting to services.
