Home / Technology / Decade-Old Tech Behind Telstra's Emergency Call Failure
Decade-Old Tech Behind Telstra's Emergency Call Failure
10 Jul
Summary
- An outdated server, nearly 10 years past its supported life, likely caused the outage.
- The SyncServer S300 device, costing $22,000, may have reset due to its age.
- CEO Vicki Brady apologized, while the government vowed to hold Telstra accountable.
A cascading failure within Telstra's network, which impacted Triple Zero services for hundreds of individuals, is suspected to stem from an outdated server. This particular piece of equipment, a SyncServer S300 designed for network time synchronization, had reportedly reached the end of its supported life almost a decade prior and was never replaced. The device, costing approximately $22,000, is believed to have malfunctioned due to its age.
Telstra's CEO, Vicki Brady, has issued an apology for the mass outages, stating the company let customers down and is investigating its redundancy systems. Communications Minister Anika Wells has vowed to hold the telecommunications giant accountable, emphasizing the critical nature of emergency services. Despite the outage, no fatalities have been directly linked to the inability to reach Triple Zero, though some individuals experienced distress.
Internal sources suggest the old SyncServer devices have a limited capacity, potentially causing them to reset. It is theorized that Telstra staff may have been attempting to patch these devices when the failure occurred, leading to a widespread issue as incorrect time data propagated through the network. This incident has fueled criticism regarding Telstra's equipment lifecycle management practices.
