In light of recent telecommunications outages, telecommunications engineer Muhammad Umar Manzoor, who has more than 20 years of industry experience, told SBS Urdu how emergency calls—particularly to Triple Zero—can be affected during network disruptions, and what steps Australians can take to protect themselves and their loved ones in an emergency.
According to Muhammad Umar Manzoor, if your mobile network goes down, don't panic. Keep trying to call Triple Zero, as Australian regulations require mobile phones to automatically attempt to connect an emergency call through any available network. If the call still doesn't go through, move outside to a road or an area with better mobile coverage. A landline—whether your own or a neighbour's—can also be an effective alternative.
He also recommends enabling Wi-Fi Calling, a feature available on all Australian mobile networks that allows calls and SMS to be made over any Wi-Fi connection, including public Wi-Fi. If your internet connection is working but you can't make a phone call, you can send a message via WhatsApp, Messenger or Viber and ask a family member or friend to call Triple Zero on your behalf. According to Manzoor, these simple steps could save lives, making it vital to share this information as widely as possible.
