Telecommunications Outage in North Queensland
Thousands of residents in specific north Queensland suburbs are experiencing telecommunications outages, impacting mobile and internet services. The affected areas include Mt Low, Bluewater, Black River, and Saunders Beach within Townsville.
Cause and Impact
Reports indicate that fibre cables at a mobile site in Mt Low were cut, an act suspected to be linked to copper theft. This incident has occurred while residents are under a tropical cyclone warning, with an offshore low-pressure system having a high chance of developing into a Category 2 cyclone on Saturday.
Optus confirmed that the outages were caused by "an act of vandalism, which resulted in a significant break" at the Mt Low mobile site, which is also utilized by Telstra and the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Telstra stated that crews are working to restore services. Calls to Triple Zero (000) are designed to automatically divert to any available mobile network.
Official Statements
Police have initiated an investigation into the cable cutting incident.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli commented on the situation, stating that individuals who cut telecommunication lines for theft during a disaster risk the lives of residents. He indicated that the full extent of the law would be applied when the responsible party is apprehended, emphasizing the critical importance of telecommunications during natural disasters.
Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto estimated that up to 5,000 residents could be affected. He expressed concern regarding the community's limited ability to receive important messages during a natural disaster due due to the disruption. Mayor Dametto also confirmed that technicians are actively working to restore services.
Community Preparation
Mayor Dametto urged all Townsville residents to review and prepare their cyclone and emergency kits, including radios and sufficient batteries, to stay informed about severe weather forecasts.