Thousands of households and businesses were cut off from essential services after a sudden network blackout hit Western Australia.
The outage left some residents unable to call Triple Zero, sparking urgent warnings from police.
Communities were told to check on vulnerable neighbours as technicians raced to restore connections.
The disruption struck the Goldfields Esperance region, with around 700 customers in the state’s south-east still affected.
Authorities confirmed internet, mobile reception, and even landline access to emergency calls had been impacted.
Police issued alerts to residents in Bandy Creek, Chadwick, Castletown and West Beach, urging those without coverage to make back-up plans with neighbours or family.
They also advised locals to personally check on elderly or at-risk people nearby in case of emergencies.
Technicians were expected to arrive on the evening of 26 September to begin repairs.
The outage came at a particularly critical time, with school holidays starting this weekend and more travellers set to arrive in the region.
Those affected were encouraged to stay updated through the NBN website while waiting for service restoration.
That earlier outage left hundreds unable to contact emergency services and has since been linked to three deaths.
Australians are still rattled by the recent Optus disaster that blocked hundreds of emergency calls.
Watch how the CEO responded when asked to take responsibility.
The WA blackout isn’t the only time network failures have raised alarms about access to emergency services.
Other providers have also faced serious scrutiny when outages left people unable to reach critical help lines.
One case even resulted in a hefty penalty for failing to keep the public safe.
Read more: Public safety in question as Telstra faces $3 million fine for emergency call outage
What This Means For You
Around 700 customers in WA’s south-east were left without internet and phone access, cutting off a vital link to family, friends, and emergency services. The disruption spread across multiple towns where residents found themselves unable to make urgent Triple Zero calls when they needed them most.
Police urged locals to step in for each other—checking on neighbours, especially those who were vulnerable, and making sure backup plans were in place. The outage came just days after a major Optus failure that has been linked to several deaths, serving as a stark reminder of how fragile our connections can be. For anyone who has ever relied on their phone in a crisis, this is a wake-up call to think about what would happen if the line suddenly went dead.
When essential lifelines go dark, how prepared are we to handle a crisis without them?
Seniors Discount Club
Latest Articles
-
-
-
'Huge change' to Australia's health system as registered nurses set to prescribe medication
- Started by ABC News
- Replies: 0
-
.png){kind=icon}
