Samsung customer dies after triple zero call failed
A telecom customer died after his phone failed to call the emergency line on Australia’s third largest mobile network.
TPG, which also operates the Vodafone and Lebara brands in Australia, said a person died on Thursday after his Samsung phone failed to make a triple zero call.
“This is a tragic incident and our condolences and thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” said Inaki Berroeta, CEO of TPG Telecom.
“Customer safety remains our top priority.
“Access to emergency services is critical.”
When the Sydney-based caller tried to reach the emergency helpline via Lebara, there was no disruption and the telecommunications network was operational.
However, initial investigations showed that the calls were unsuccessful because the customer’s outdated Samsung phone was using software that was not compatible with triple zero calls.
Samsung had found that some older devices needed a software update to be able to call the emergency line on the TPG network.
Although the death occurred on Thursday, TPG Telecom was not notified until Monday, when it received advice from NSW Ambulance.
The company has since urged customers with affected devices to update their phones, and anyone who fails to do so within five weeks will have their mobile phones blocked.
Other telcos have taken similar action since the Samsung-specific problem on Vodafone’s network was discovered by Telstra and Optus in late October.
“We urge all our customers with outdated software to replace or update their devices without delay to ensure they can reach triple zero in an emergency,” Mr. Berroeta said.
TPG Telecom said Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells, the Triple Zero Commissioner, the NSW government and the telecommunications watchdog had been notified.
The telecommunications industry has been under intense scrutiny in recent months following an Optus outage that left hundreds of triple zero calls unable to connect and was linked to three deaths.
Optus chief executive Stephen Rue has so far escaped calls for his sacking and has been brought before parliament for questioning over his company’s six-hour delay in notifying the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Ms Wells.
The federal government has introduced new rules requiring telecommunications companies to report outages to the communications watchdog and emergency services in real time.
SAMSUNG PHONES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED
* 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
The other 60 Samsung devices require a software update if they don’t already have one.
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