New outage hits Telstra 4G network

Update 12.15pm AEST: “Our 4G voice and data traffic volume is improving nationally after we bypassed hardware which had been preventing some customers from accessing the 4G mobile network,” a Telstra spokesperson said. “3G voice and data volumes are also improving.  We are very sorry for the interruption to services, either directly to customers or through business and government services.”

Update 2.55pm: “We have now returned our mobile voice and data services to normal levels,” Telstra said. “We will closely monitor network stability and performance and continue supporting our customers to restore their services. We are again deeply sorry for any disruption as we know how customers rely on our mobile services.”

Telstra has confirmed that it is “investigating an issue impacting our mobile network”.

“We are working to resolve an issue impacting some 4G mobile voice and data services nationally which is also causing congestion for 3G services,” a spokesperson said.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. We are still investigating the root cause.”

In a statement NSW Police said that there could be an impact on people trying to call Triple Zero.

“Calls to 000 will connect over other carriers’ networks where they have mobile coverage,” Telstra’s spokesperson said.

The telco is currently facing scrutiny over a major outage of the Triple Zero emergency service.

The service went down earlier this month after a Telstra cable was cut between Orange and Bowral in New South Wales. Telstra said it believed a lightening strike was to blame for the damage to the cable.

Telstra also suffered problems with 4G voice services at the start of May.

It blamed technical changes to control equipment in the telco’s Exhibition Street exchange in Melbourne for the issue.

Telstra in 2016 launched a $250 million program to boost the resilience of its mobile network following a number of major outages.

Telstra CEO Andy Penn recently warned of a “difficult trading period ahead” for the telco, thanks to the “challenging dynamics” created by the roll out of the National Broadband Network and increased competition in the mobile space.