Telstra executive says server software update could have prevented outage - video
News Source
β’Fri, 17 Jul 2026 04:17:47 GMT
π° What Happened
A Telstra executive admitted that a simple software update could have prevented a major outage. The outage last Wednesday cut hundreds of people off from triple zero emergency services. It also disrupted phone and internet services across Australia. The problem was a 15-year-old server that cost only $30,000 to replace.
Gerard Tracey, Telstra's executive for end-to-end resilience, told a senate inquiry that a newer server would have stopped the problem. The chief executive Vicki Brady also said the outage could have been avoided if the company had updated its software properly. The failure 'rippled slowly across the network' before causing widespread chaos.
π The Backstory
Telstra is Australia's biggest telecommunications company. It runs the country's main phone and internet networks. When Telstra goes down, millions of people are affected. The outage also cut off triple zero, which is the emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance.
A senate inquiry is now looking into what went wrong. The fact that a $30,000 server upgrade could have prevented the disaster has angered many people. Critics say Telstra cut corners to save money. The company has been under pressure to improve its network reliability for years.
π― Why It Matters
This matters because your ability to call for help in an emergency depends on Telstra's network. If a cheap upgrade could have saved triple zero services, people want to know why it did not happen.
A Telstra executive admitted that a simple software update could have prevented a major outage. The outage last Wednesday cut hundreds of people off from triple zero emergency services. It also disrupted phone and internet services across Australia. The problem was a 15-year-old server that cost only $30,000 to replace.
Gerard Tracey, Telstra's executive for end-to-end resilience, told a senate inquiry that a newer server would have stopped the problem. The chief executive Vicki Brady also said the outage could have been avoided if the company had updated its software properly. The failure 'rippled slowly across the network' before causing widespread chaos.
Telstra is Australia's biggest telecommunications company. It runs the country's main phone and internet networks. When Telstra goes down, millions of people are affected. The outage also cut off triple zero, which is the emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance.
A senate inquiry is now looking into what went wrong. The fact that a $30,000 server upgrade could have prevented the disaster has angered many people. Critics say Telstra cut corners to save money. The company has been under pressure to improve its network reliability for years.
This matters because your ability to call for help in an emergency depends on Telstra's network. If a cheap upgrade could have saved triple zero services, people want to know why it did not happen.