Victoria residents and firefighters experienced telecommunications outages during recent bushfires, leading to renewed calls for improved network resilience during natural disasters. The outages hindered communication for both affected individuals and emergency services.
Stephen Meyer, a local CFA group officer, reported losing phone service while fighting a fire in the Natimuk area, which affected coordination. Lachlan Hick, who lost property in the same fire, noted that his elderly neighbors were unable to contact family due to a lack of reception during evacuation.
Telstra confirmed a power outage at its Mount Arapiles mobile site, which serves Natimuk, due to a mechanical fault in the back-up generator under extreme weather conditions. Services were restored the following day after the site was safely accessed.
Federal MP Helen Haines has advocated for securing telecommunications during natural disasters. Key proposals include implementing temporary disaster roaming, which allows cross-network usage when one network fails, and ensuring mobile phone base towers have reliable back-up power. Temporary disaster roaming is already available for Triple Zero calls but experienced failures during previous Optus outages.
Telstra, TPG, and Optus commenced trialing disaster roaming in November. The federal government has been collaborating with the industry since 2023 on this initiative, which was recommended by multiple inquiries. Telstra has acknowledged challenges, such as preventing network overload on surviving networks, as potential issues for disaster roaming.
Optus reported 112 mobile sites were affected by extreme heat and bushfires in Victoria but have been fully restored. Optus sites are designed with a minimum of four hours of battery back-up. The federal government has also invested in programs to enhance telco network resilience, funding back-up batteries and generators for infrastructure.
The government plans to launch a universal outdoor mobile obligation in December 2027, which aims to ensure phone call and text coverage, partially utilizing satellite technology. National Farmers' Federation president Hamish McIntyre supports both the universal outdoor mobile obligation and temporary disaster roaming, emphasizing the critical role of communication for farmers and local emergency responders during crises.