A Senate inquiry into the September 2025 Optus national outage has called for fundamental reform of Australia's telecommunications sector. The outage left hundreds of people unable to reach Triple Zero and was linked to multiple deaths. The final report, supported by Labor and Coalition members, recommends that Telstra be stripped of its contract to operate the Triple Zero system, which currently runs until 2032, and that a new statutory authority take control. It also urges the government to mandate domestic roaming, a policy that would allow mobile devices to connect to any available network infrastructure regardless of the owner or operator. The report also recommends that the Triple Zero Custodian — established in 2025 to oversee the emergency service — conduct a comprehensive review of welfare checks across the system. Inquiry chair Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said, "Australian telcos are now on notice. This is the end of the era of self-regulation." The report goes further than a previous inquiry into the 2023 Optus outage, and follows a nationwide Telstra outage in July that has increased momentum for change. Domestic roaming has been debated for 30 years, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently launched a year-long inquiry into declaring it, after three earlier inquiries recommended against it. The National Farmers Federation and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network are among groups supporting mandatory roaming. The inquiry suggests the federal government may need to start over with a new telecommunications act, better suited to the modern world.
Senate inquiry urges mandatory domestic roaming and stripping Telstra of Triple Zero duty
Final report from Optus outage inquiry recommends new telecoms act and statutory authority for emergency call service
Analysis
Why this matters
- The recommendations could reshape how Australians access mobile networks in remote and regional areas, where coverage gaps are a persistent issue.
- A new statutory authority for Triple Zero would overhaul a safety-critical service that has been linked to deaths during outages.
- The push for a new telecommunications act signals a potential end to decades of self-regulation by the industry.
Background
Australia's telecommunications sector has faced repeated scrutiny following major outages, including the 2023 Optus network failure and a 2025 nationwide Telstra outage. Both incidents exposed vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Domestic roaming — the ability for a phone to automatically switch to another carrier's network when the primary one is unavailable — has been debated for three decades, with earlier ACCC inquiries rejecting the idea. The current ACCC inquiry, launched recently, is the fourth such examination. The Triple Zero service has traditionally been operated by Telstra under a government contract, but the inquiry now recommends a new legal framework to manage emergency communications.
Key perspectives
- Senate inquiry chair Sarah Hanson-Young: Described the report as marking 'the end of the era of self-regulation,' signaling strong political support for tighter oversight.
- Government and Coalition members: Supported the report's recommendations, suggesting cross-party consensus on the need for structural change.
- Consumer and farming groups: The National Farmers Federation and ACCAN back mandatory roaming, arguing it would improve connectivity in rural areas.
- Telcos: Likely to resist mandatory roaming, which has previously been opposed by network owners who argue it would reduce incentives for infrastructure investment.
- Critics: Concerned about the cost of implementing a new statutory authority and the operational risks of transitioning Triple Zero away from Telstra.
What to watch
- The federal government's formal response to the inquiry's recommendations, which is expected in the coming months.
- The outcome of the ACCC's year-long mobile services inquiry, which could determine the future of domestic roaming.
- Any legislative action to establish a new telecommunications act, which would signal the scale of regulatory reform.
Sources
- Mandate domestic mobile roaming and strip telcos of Triple Zero, inquiry recommends — The Conversation – Articles (AU)