Sydney resident died after triple-zero call didn’t work on Samsung phone, TPG says | Australia news

Vodafone parent company TPG said a Lebara customer who tried to call triple zero on an incompatible Samsung device was unable to make the call and subsequently died.

In a statement to the ASX, TPG said it was notified of the incident, which occurred in Sydney on November 13, at 5.22pm yesterday, on the advice of NSW Ambulance.

The company stated that it did not experience a network outage, but initial investigations indicate that the customer was using a Samsung device using software that was not compatible with making triple zero calls on the TPG network.

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TPG, Optus and Telstra advised on: some old devices In late October. According to the rules, customers who do not update their phones within 28-35 days will be blocked from accessing the network.

The customer was using the Lebara service, a company that sells mobile services on the Vodafone network.

“Customer safety remains our top priority,” said Iñaki Berroeta, TPG general manager.

“This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones. Access to emergency services is critical.

“We urge all customers with outdated software to replace or update their devices without delay to ensure they can reach triple zero in an emergency.”

NSW Ambulance confirmed late on Tuesday that it was contacted via an alternative phone connection following an initial call attempt and responded immediately.

“We extend our sincerest condolences to the patient’s family and friends,” the spokesman said.

“NSW Ambulance continues to review its response and has escalated the incident to the telecommunications provider.”

Shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh said the federal government should require every telco with a customer with an affected mobile phone to be made aware of the situation and request that the devices be moved to a new device before they are disconnected from the network.

“But it’s too late now. It’s definitely too late. Today we stand here talking about another death,” he told reporters. “This is a person in Australia whose family members, their loved ones, the people who care about them, will be forever affected because they were unable to make the phone call that needed to be made in their most urgent time of need.”

It is estimated that around 50,000 of these older Samsung devices will be blocked from connecting to mobile networks after Telstra and Optus last month reported that older devices would not be able to connect to the Vodafone network when both networks were unavailable and the user had to call triple zero.

According to triple zero rules, in some cases, devices that cannot connect to triple zero must be disconnected from mobile networks. Telcos are advising customers on whether they need to upgrade their devices, but the full notice period required before devices are shut down has not yet expired.

Device models are:

• Galaxy A7 (2017)

• Galaxy A5 2017

• Galaxy J1 2016

• Galaxy J3 2016

• Galaxy J5 2017

• Galaxy Note 5

• Galaxy S6

• Galaxy S6 Edge

• Galaxy S6 Edge+

• Galaxy S7

• Galaxy S7 Edge

Newer Samsung devices may need a software update to continue working. Samsung has provided a list of these devices on its website.

The device maker told Guardian Australia last month it was working with operators on the issue.

This follows a series of deaths during Optus’ triple zero outage in September. An Optus independent investigation into the incident is expected to take place before the end of 2025. The Australian Communications and Media Authority also launched an investigation.

– Additional reporting by Penry Buckley