Neglected software update caused widespread Telstra network outage, CEO tells Senate inquiry

• 01Telstra attributed a nationwide mobile network outage to a Microchip SSU 2000 network time protocol (NTP) server resetting its date to 2006.
• 02The server date reset occurred in Melbourne during maintenance to replace faulty backup power due to an underlying software configuration error.
• 03Telstra CEO Vicki Brady stated that 45% of all calls and data sessions were affected when the network went down shortly before 4:30am AEST.
• 04Executives confirmed that the manufacturer alerted Telstra in 2022 and January of the current year that a software update was required for the server, but the update had not been applied.
• 05Telstra had implemented an undocumented design change to the equipment to fix an earlier fault, which maintenance staff were unaware of.
• 06The incorrect date from the Melbourne server propagated to other servers, causing authentication certificates to become invalid and preventing customers from connecting to the network.
• 07During the outage, 58,835 calls to triple zero successfully connected, while 604 experienced an error.
• 08The triple-zero platform, operated by Telstra, was unaffected by the incident because it does not use the NTP servers for synchronization.
• 09Telstra has received approximately 8,000 compensation claims from nearly 9 million affected customers, with about $100,000 paid out in the past week.
• 10Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young characterized Telstra’s position during the inquiry as an "Optus problem" and described the company as "pretty smug" in earlier hearings.

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Telstra chief executive Vicki Brady testified before a Senate inquiry that a nationwide mobile outage was caused by a Microchip NTP server resetting to the year 2006 during maintenance in Melbourne. The failure resulted from an unapplied software update and an undocumented design change, which caused authentication errors across the network and affected 45% of calls and data sessions. Telstra acknowledged full accountability for the disruption, which disrupted emergency calls and mobile services, and is currently processing customer compensation claims.