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TPG Telecom says Sydney person died after outdated phone software blocked Triple Zero calls
By Luke Royes Topic:TechnologyMon 17 Nov Monday 17 November A person holding a smartphone dialling 000
TPG says the incident happened on November 13. (ABC News: Dannielle Maguire) In short:
TPG Telecom has confirmed a customer in Sydney died last week after a mobile phone could not make Triple Zero calls.
The telco says early investigations indicated the failed calls were due to a Samsung device operating on software that was not compatible with making Triple Zero calls on the network.
Samsung said on its website it had identified older mobile devices that do not “correctly connect to an alternative mobile network to make Triple Zero calls when the user’s primary network is not available”. Link copied
TPG Telecom says a Sydney customer died after outdated software blocked a Samsung phone from making Triple Zero (000) calls.
The telco said in a statement it was informed of the incident involving a person using a Lebara service on a Samsung device on November 13 by NSW Ambulance yesterday.
TPG Telecom said its mobile network was operational and no outages had occurred.
“Early investigations indicate that the failed calls were due to the customer’s Samsung device operating on software that was not compatible with making Triple Zero calls on the network,” the company said in a statement.
"Samsung recently identified that certain, older devices required a software update to enable Triple Zero functionality on TPG Telecom's mobile network."The telco said when it became aware of issues with these handsets on its network, it told customers “to urgently update affected devices”.
“Handsets not updated are blocked after a period of 28-35 days from the first contact to the customer, as required under new regulations,” the company said.
“The most recent communications to customers with impacted devices was sent on 7 November.” A woman and a man walk past a Samsung store with mobile phones and tablets for sale on benches.
A number of older Samsung devices are listed on the company’s website as needing to be replaced or updated. (ABC News: Jack Ailwood)
In a statement, NSW Ambulance confirmed it received contact from the person “via an alternate phone connection” after they attempted to call Triple Zero, and paramedics responded immediately.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the patient,” it read. Samsung customers ‘strongly advised’ to install latest software updates
Samsung said it was continuing to work closely with its carrier partners to ensure all devices operate reliably in emergencies.
“We strongly encourage customers to keep their mobile devices updated with the latest software, as this is critical to maintaining the highest standards of safety, security, and performance,” the statement read.
Samsung said customers with devices requiring updates or replacements have been notified by their mobile carrier with instructions following the incident.
The company lists on its website dozens of devices that need to be updated or replaced to ensure users can make Triple Zero calls.
It said newer model phones were not affected.
Three people died in September after a technical failure on the Optus network meant Triple Zero calls were unable to go through.
Last month Telstra testing revealed some Samsung mobile phone users may be unable to call Triple Zero in an emergency with more than 70 models found not to be connecting correctly.
The issue affected 11 older model Samsung Galaxy phones which users would need to replace with newer devices, and about 60 models that required system updates, Telstra said. TPG boss offers condolences, urges action A man in a white long-sleeve shirt standing at a counter with a TPG Telecom sign on the wall behind it.
TPG Telecom said its mobile network was operational and no outages had occurred. (ABC News: Jack Ailwood)
TPG Telecom managing director and CEO Inaki Berroeta said customer safety was the company’s “highest priority” and urged users of affected devices to update their software or replace them.
“This is a tragic incident, and our condolences and thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” he said.
"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.”
TPG Telecom said the communications minister, NSW Government, Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Triple Zero Custodian and other relevant government and regulatory bodies had been notified of the incident. Investigation into Triple Zero compliance underway
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the “tragic situation” would be investigated.
“TPG’s compliance with the Emergency Call Service Determination will be rigorously assessed by ACMA,” she said in a statement.
ACMA said in a statement it would investigate whether there had been any non-compliance with the Triple Zero rules and enforcement action taken if any was found. Anthony Albanese and Anika Wells press conference
Anika Wells says the “tragic situation” would be investigated by the communications watchdog. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
“Under rules introduced in 2024, telecommunications providers must notify their customers where the provider identifies that the customer’s device may not be able to connect to triple zero and then take action to block those devices from their networks,” it said.
Opposition communications spokesperson Melissa McIntosh said she was “really saddened” to learn of the death.
She said the warnings around connectivity issues with the Triple Zero network have been “loud and clear” for a month.
“We found out that there would be a number of Samsung handset devices that would not be compatible, and this goes all the way back to the botched-up, failed 3G network shutdown by the Albanese government,” she said.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young , who is chairing a senate inquiry into the deadly Optus Triple Zero outage, said the probe would also look into the TPG failure.
“This squarely sits now at the feet now of the regulator and the government to fix Triple Zero because it’s clearly not fit for purpose and not working to keep Australians safe. It shouldn’t happen again," she said. Loading… Posted Mon 17 Nov 2025 at 10:49pm Monday 17 Nov 2025 at 10:49pm , updated 18h ago 18 hours ago
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I remember a time where phones didn’t need software to make emergency calls.
"Smart"phone, my ass.