Telstra customers to wait nine days for service restoration: ‘Incredibly frustrating’
- Replies 27
In a world where we rely on our mobile devices, a network outage can be more than just an inconvenience. It can disrupt our lives in significant ways.
This is the reality that many Telstra customers are currently grappling with as the telecommunications giant's 4G network experiences widespread and prolonged outages.
A map of the Telstra 4G network, splattered with red blotches, revealed countless 'dead spots' across the country.
Thousands of customers in Sydney's eastern suburbs, including Coogee, Kingsford, and Maroubra, have been left without service and told to wait nine days for the service to be restored.
The blackout began without warning on 26 February. While some outages listed on Telstra's website indicate a restoration date of March 4, many others are left in the dark with a fix date 'unavailable'.
Telstra said there had been an ‘unplanned service interruption’ and technicians are ‘investigating the cause of a network issue that is affecting the 4G network’.
The fallout has been significant, with customers describing the outages as a 'joke' and 'annoying'.
One customer, who sought help at a Telstra retail store, likened the experience to being in a mobile data 'dead spot'.
‘Telstra shop told me [the 4G mobile data is] estimated to be back by the 4th (of March). Apparently, technicians only started investigating today,’ she said.
One man shared his frustration at being unable to access the internet at home.
‘I have to drive my car until I can find reception and then sit in the driver’s seat doing my uni work and stay out if I want to do any general social media scrolling,’ he complained.
Another customer explained how the outage had severely disadvantaged her work and personal life.
With her local NBN service also down, she was left without internet access at home.
‘It’s incredibly frustrating not having access to the internet through my phone data. Internet services are currently down at my property, and without access to Telstra 4G, I’m unable to come home and prepare for work the next day,’ she said.
‘I’ve had to stay back at work to use the office Wi-Fi or sit in my car on the street to access slow internet for work purposes or to respond to messages from family and friends.’
The outages have also disrupted the usual post-work routines of many customers.
‘It’s not ideal coming home after a hard day of work and can’t I access mobile internet to sit back and relax to watch something on my phone,’ one man said.
In response to the widespread criticism, a spokesperson for Telstra claimed that the map image on its site made the problem look worse than it actually is.
He explained that the shutdown was necessary for vital updates to the network, including the introduction of 5G to Maroubra and its surrounding suburbs.
While the spokesperson did not provide a specific number of affected customers, he suggested that services might be restored earlier than March 4.
‘While we have listed up to seven days for the outage, we will look to do the work as quickly as possible and all things going to plan, expect to have works completed well within this time,’ he said.
‘While there may be some overlapping coverage from our other sites, there will be an impact [on] some mobile services.’
‘On Monday we began doing an upgrade of our key Maroubra base station on Anzac Parade to help bring new 5G coverage to the area. As the works require us to partly rebuild our site and replace a lot of equipment, this means we have to turn off the 3G and 4G network,’ he added.
The spokesperson also claimed it was ‘difficult to estimate the impact to local residents in this part of Sydney.’ However, he also encouraged customers who believe they have a case for compensation to contact Telstra and request a compensation pack.
The Telstra spokesman also confirmed that fixed line and NBN services are not impacted and that Triple Zero calls can still be made.
He encouraged customers with access to a Wi-Fi signal to activate Wi-Fi Calling, a ‘free setting on most popular phones that allow you to make and receive calls and access the internet when you are in range of the modem’.
This situation came after Telstra announced a half-year profit of $1 billion, an increase of 11.5 per cent from the previous year.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady attributed the company's gains, in part, to acquiring tens of thousands of customers in the wake of the Optus data breach, when nearly 10 million Optus customers’ personal data had been leaked.
‘We would estimate that impact to be maybe in the tens of thousands [of customers]. To be honest, we had a very good December quarter…And in terms of the competitive dynamic, it’s brought front of mind for customers that it’s all about resilience and reliability, whether in our personal lives or our businesses,’ she said.
Have you been affected by the Telstra 4G outage? Let us know in the comments below.
This is the reality that many Telstra customers are currently grappling with as the telecommunications giant's 4G network experiences widespread and prolonged outages.
A map of the Telstra 4G network, splattered with red blotches, revealed countless 'dead spots' across the country.
Thousands of customers in Sydney's eastern suburbs, including Coogee, Kingsford, and Maroubra, have been left without service and told to wait nine days for the service to be restored.
Thousands of Telstra customers have been affected by the outage for days. Credit: Shutterstock
The blackout began without warning on 26 February. While some outages listed on Telstra's website indicate a restoration date of March 4, many others are left in the dark with a fix date 'unavailable'.
Telstra said there had been an ‘unplanned service interruption’ and technicians are ‘investigating the cause of a network issue that is affecting the 4G network’.
The fallout has been significant, with customers describing the outages as a 'joke' and 'annoying'.
One customer, who sought help at a Telstra retail store, likened the experience to being in a mobile data 'dead spot'.
‘Telstra shop told me [the 4G mobile data is] estimated to be back by the 4th (of March). Apparently, technicians only started investigating today,’ she said.
One man shared his frustration at being unable to access the internet at home.
‘I have to drive my car until I can find reception and then sit in the driver’s seat doing my uni work and stay out if I want to do any general social media scrolling,’ he complained.
Another customer explained how the outage had severely disadvantaged her work and personal life.
With her local NBN service also down, she was left without internet access at home.
‘It’s incredibly frustrating not having access to the internet through my phone data. Internet services are currently down at my property, and without access to Telstra 4G, I’m unable to come home and prepare for work the next day,’ she said.
‘I’ve had to stay back at work to use the office Wi-Fi or sit in my car on the street to access slow internet for work purposes or to respond to messages from family and friends.’
The outages have also disrupted the usual post-work routines of many customers.
‘It’s not ideal coming home after a hard day of work and can’t I access mobile internet to sit back and relax to watch something on my phone,’ one man said.
The map revealed the ‘dead spots’ of the Telstra 4G network. Credit: Telstra
In response to the widespread criticism, a spokesperson for Telstra claimed that the map image on its site made the problem look worse than it actually is.
He explained that the shutdown was necessary for vital updates to the network, including the introduction of 5G to Maroubra and its surrounding suburbs.
While the spokesperson did not provide a specific number of affected customers, he suggested that services might be restored earlier than March 4.
‘While we have listed up to seven days for the outage, we will look to do the work as quickly as possible and all things going to plan, expect to have works completed well within this time,’ he said.
‘While there may be some overlapping coverage from our other sites, there will be an impact [on] some mobile services.’
‘On Monday we began doing an upgrade of our key Maroubra base station on Anzac Parade to help bring new 5G coverage to the area. As the works require us to partly rebuild our site and replace a lot of equipment, this means we have to turn off the 3G and 4G network,’ he added.
The spokesperson also claimed it was ‘difficult to estimate the impact to local residents in this part of Sydney.’ However, he also encouraged customers who believe they have a case for compensation to contact Telstra and request a compensation pack.
The Telstra spokesman also confirmed that fixed line and NBN services are not impacted and that Triple Zero calls can still be made.
He encouraged customers with access to a Wi-Fi signal to activate Wi-Fi Calling, a ‘free setting on most popular phones that allow you to make and receive calls and access the internet when you are in range of the modem’.
This situation came after Telstra announced a half-year profit of $1 billion, an increase of 11.5 per cent from the previous year.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady attributed the company's gains, in part, to acquiring tens of thousands of customers in the wake of the Optus data breach, when nearly 10 million Optus customers’ personal data had been leaked.
‘We would estimate that impact to be maybe in the tens of thousands [of customers]. To be honest, we had a very good December quarter…And in terms of the competitive dynamic, it’s brought front of mind for customers that it’s all about resilience and reliability, whether in our personal lives or our businesses,’ she said.
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