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Telcos will need to share their network outages in real-time on a public register and face increased fines of $30 million if customers cannot connect to the triple-zero system. Communications Minister Anika Wells has written to the regulator to formally direct it to strengthen the transparency of network outages and require telcos to maintain a public register. "I am writing to advise that I have decided to formally direct the ACMA to make new rules to strengthen the telecommunications regulatory framework," she wrote in an excerpt of the letter. READ MORE: Doctors back crackdown on 'sneaky' health insurance tactic "I will be issuing a Direction to the ACMA to amend the Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard 2024 to mandate that telecommunications providers maintain a public register of their network outages." Telcos are already legally required to report outages, but it is not always readily available to the public, with information spread across websites and social media pages. Under the formal direction, customers would have access to real-time data in one location, similar to the way energy companies and state fire departments have live maps detailing current incidents on their websites. Australia's peak consumer body, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has been calling for a public register and welcomed the news. "Confidence in triple zero and telco services overall has taken a significant hit over recent times. This register is so important to stabilise community concerns," ACCAN chief executive Carol Bennett said. The federal government is trying to rebuild Australia's confidence in the triple-zero system after three people died in an Optus triple-zero outage last month. READ MORE: Police raid offices of $28b Aussie tech giant The under-siege telco then experienced a second outage just days later, shaking the public's already dwindling trust. The government has introduced fast-tracked legislation in parliament to establish a triple-zero "custodian" to oversee the network. During a debate over the bill in the Senate yesterday, Labor agreed to calls from the Greens and Coalition to increase the penalties for triple-zero outages to $30 million. "We are not on the side of corporate criminals on this side of the chamber, and we will certainly make sure that these penalties signify what the community standard and expectation is, but also from the government," Labor's Nita Green, who introduced the bill in the Senate on behalf of Wells, said. Today, the Senate will vote to establish a Senate inquiry into Optus' triple-zero outage last month, with the Greens and the Coalition appearing to team up to help get it over the line. Optus has commissioned an internal investigation and also remains under investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
