back to article Telstra's mobile networks go TOESUP* in national outage

Telstra's mobile network experienced a nationwide outage on Monday morning, May 21st, 2018. For a while, according to some media reports, the carrier's outage reporter was also down, but at the time of writing it was working well enough to identify local outages, report that the cause is under investigation, and advise that …

  1. Sampler

    Woolies too, possibly

    Not sure if it's related but Woolworths self-checkouts were down too (least the card only ones, implying they use Telstra backend for card payments). My phone was back online around half eleven (least, that's when I noticed it) but woolies were still out at one.

  2. Scott Marshall
    Trollface

    Nah - it's nothing serious. Just NBN sabotaging Telstra's mobile network so that people "know that they can only rely on NBN fixed line and fixed wireless communications"™

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Lots of funny bussiness happening lately

    Lastnight I discovered my mobile was locked onto 5:55pm and would not change, it had had update from timezone/location and network turned off I discovered it at 7:41pm AEST (roughly two (2)hours) behind my timezone, if that means anything as my battery time was also stuffed and it had been like that for at least about 6 hours.

    Then Telstra turns up its toes today.

    I recently joined a large competitor of Telstra for a particular service, since then I have been hit with spam, spam, spam, many had come from hacks of phones of other people. To that number and the number I had nominated for business phone response.

    Optus-Singtel get your inside management in order, you really are as much the problem.

    There is too much co-incidence between your business and crap happening.

    P.S. One hack said it was from UK football club and said I had won 2,ooo,ooo pounds, lovely but I had not entered. Optus did just win a contract to present Football in Australia, I would like the Fraudsters to be made to pay everybody their 2,000,000 pounds, without being able to declare bankruptcy, (when they're caught) and see what that does to spam-fraud.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Lucky

    Lucky we aren't paying ultra premium prices with the most powerful incumbent telco for the premium service they offer... Hmm.

    Things have been going downhill with them for ages, pity the usual suspects that you can move to are just as useless. I spent 8 phone calls to sign up to a mobile phone plan over 2 days just to move from an expired contract to a new contract both with Telstra.

    1. Wrong plan even though i was using the chat app in writing.

    2. Correct plan, wrong term.

    3. Correct term, wrong plan.

    4. Correct plan, correct term, no bonus data applied as was offered for signing up at the time

    5. Actually fixed issue.

    Yet to see first bill on new plan, awaiting the results expecting to have to chase the fact I've been billed incorrectly or similar

    1. sanmigueelbeer
      Happy

      Re: Lucky

      Yet to see first bill on new plan

      Please take a seat before reading your Telstra bill.

      They sure are happy (and fast) to take your money (or sign you up) but makes you go through so many hoops to correct things that they screwed up.

    2. Adam 1

      Re: Lucky

      Works both ways. When I moved into my current place, they had a pensioner discount* applied on the plan. Did the right thing and called up their accounts. They said thanks, told me they'd fixed the issue, just pay the discounted amount and next month it'd be normal.

      Next month, you'll never guess what happened.. so I called them again, explained again how they had applied it by mistake and asked for its removal. Sure thing, they said. The last phone monkey pressed the wrong button but it's all fixed now.

      Next month, go on, take a guess. So I called, told then that this was the final time that I would call them, re explained that I don't want this on my account. Then explained that no, I am not trying to apply for a pensioner discount. Eventually they got it, told me about how the other phone monkeys must have missed the steps. Got a receipt number that time.

      So next month, actually let's fast forward a bit. About 5 years later, they sent me a nasty letter demanding documentation proving I'm entitled to the discount in 30 days or else they would cut off my discount. Perfect.

      So about a year later, I transferred my phone line to nakeddsl with "not Telstra", still receiving my discount every month.

      *This is Telstra's idea of a discount, which means only 1.9x the competition instead of 2x

      1. sanmigueelbeer

        Re: Lucky

        So about a year later, I transferred my phone line to nakeddsl with "not Telstra", still receiving my discount every month.

        Naked DSL means you also don't need to pay for the Telstra "tax" (aka "line rental fee").

        Where I live mobile phone reception in the house is non-existence. The only way is landline. With NBN installed, I got Asterisk/FreePBX installed on a RaspberryPi. My "per call" charge (and not per minute) is lower than regular landline and I don't get to pay line rental.

        1. Adam 1

          Re: Lucky

          Yes. Paying less per month now* line rental isn't a thing, but getting unlimited data, unlimited national calls and unlimited calls to mobiles.

          Will look at NBN at some point. We have the box drilled onto the outside wall, but they still need big Mal to sidestep some laws of mathematics with the Telstra under-provisioned fraudband cable before they can shine some lightelectrons down it.

          *Ok very marginally more if you add the VPN cost but I value my privacy, but no bill shock on bigger. months.

  5. DaveBu

    More than just mobile

    I'm at a school in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. We lost internet connectivity. My wife works in a large office of well over 100 people (roughly 10km away) - they also lost internet.

    I suspect some of the outages mentioned in the article also used fixed-line.

    Telstra are understating the problem.

  6. The Central Scrutinizer

    Telstra, always have been shit, always will be. Ring them these days and you talk to someone in Manila.... great!!!! How is approximately 4 hrs on the phone over multiple calls just to organise a new phone connection even remotely close to a pleasant experience?

    1. Denarius

      but the PHB class

      still have bonuses as well as the layer of waste above the PHBs in executive land. How about changing companies act so essential services failures mean the boards lose a years salary, not the shareholders. To improve hell desk support, it is about time for an outsourcing tax on all Oz offshored businesses. Alternatively, given the Oz comms model is unlike most countries, ie highly urbanised centers which are very distant, either invest in one of the newer low orbiting satellite businesses or nationalise all telco infrastructure. Charge the cost to all the pollies super who voted to sell Telstra.

  7. jmc787

    Whatever happened to titsup lads. Are we going all PC/METOO or something.

  8. Mike Lewis

    AAPT too

    AAPT, upon whom Exetel depends, went titsup at the same time and in the same areas. I wonder if there's a connection (or lack of one).

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