Wednesday’s Telstra outage is an unfortunate reminder that our telco infrastructure is not immune to errors — even Vodafone reported an outage just last month. With millions of Aussies impacted, along with a range of services such as EFTPOS and train lines, it’s clearer than ever how reliant we are on our devices and mobile networks for our day-to-day lives.
While many have had their Telstra access restored, it’s a good reminder to have a contingency plan in place for these sorts of situations. It might not be totally fail proof, but it could be the thing that keeps you connected when needed.
Multiple people in your household? Spread your plans over the networks
Australia has three mobile networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone/TPG. All of the smaller providers use one of these three networks to deliver services to customers. But all three have experienced outages in the past years.
"No network is infallible. Outages can and do happen from time to time so it’s worth having a back up plan. For starters, if you’ve got more than one phone in your household, think about switching one to a provider that runs on a different network,” Sally Tindall, Canstar Data Insights Director said.
“That way if you’re all at home, one of you should be able to make a call. Or alternatively, reach out to your neighbour to check what network they’re on.”
Check the coverage at your home and any places you and members of your household frequently visit, to see if you’ll be able to access two or all three of the mobile networks. New coverage map rules have also made this process easier by showing the different levels of coverage available: Good, Moderate, Basic or No Coverage.
Remember, this doesn’t mean that you have to have a plan with the big three providers. There are many smaller cost providers which will use one of the three mobile networks, so you have plenty of options to pick and choose a plan that suits the needs of everyone in your household.
Isn’t it cheaper to bundle plans with one provider?
Not necessarily. Some telcos do offer the option to bundle multiple services on the one account with discounts for bundling. Telstra and Vodafone offer bundle options, along with smaller providers like Yomojo and ALDI Mobile, while Optus has offered a family plan but it’s being retired from October 5, 2026.
While you can save on your plan fees by bundling, you might find that you’re able to save on mobile costs by simply comparing mobile plans and shopping around. It’s always worth checking the prices and discounts to see if bundling is really the most cost-effective solution for your household.
Diversify your mobile and internet providers
When mobile services go down, your home’s internet can provide a much needed lifeline. But in some outages, internet services can also be impacted. If you have a home wireless broadband plan (also known as 4G or 5G home internet) or mobile broadband plan for your internet service, you will most likely be impacted by any mobile network outage. Some outages may go beyond the mobile network and could also impact NBN and other internet services.
Choosing an internet provider that is different to your mobile provider, could ensure that you’ll have access to one service if the other goes down. While it’s not completely fail-safe, it could help to mitigate other outages.
WiFi calling can keep you connected
Some providers such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, and many smaller providers like Belong, Felix and Amaysim, offer WiFi calling and SMS with compatible devices. If your home internet is still up and running, and you have WiFi calling enabled, you may still be able to make and receive calls and SMS during a mobile network outage.
WiFi calling can also help connect to emergency services, just make sure your phone and provider is compatible with the technology. Just remember you might not be able to access WiFi calling while connected to a VPN.
If your phone and provider offers WiFi calling, here are some steps to enable:
- Update your phone to the latest software, especially if you have an older device.
- Enable VoLTE or WiFi calling on your device. This will be different between devices, but go to your phone’s settings and take a look around, or try searching for ‘WiFi calling’ and enable. For some iPhones, this may be listed under the ‘Phone’ app’s settings.
- Once you’ve found the setting, switch WiFi calling on and you should be good to go. Some phones may show when you’re connected to WiFi calling at the top of your device.
Use messaging apps and get your family on them too
Standard calls and SMS aren’t the only way many of us keep in touch with friends and family anymore.
“Another option is to test out making calls via the internet, whether that’s on WhatsApp, FaceTime or through the computer. That way if you’re in an emergency, or even if something comes up that is urgent but not Triple Zero worthy, you have a plan to manage it.” Ms Tindall said.
As long as your phone is connected to a WiFi network — whether that’s at home, work or elsewhere — you should still be able to make calls and send messages through messaging apps. WhatsApp has even recently made the move to no longer require a mobile number to use the messaging service, so access will be even easier.
Just make sure that you have anyone you need to stay connected to available on your messaging app of choice. That could include neighbours, colleagues and of course, your family and friends. Even if you don’t use the messaging app to keep in touch on a day-to-day basis, it’s good to have access as a back up.
eSIM can get you a temporary or permanent second plan
eSIMs have made signing up to a phone plan easier than ever. The Optus outage in 2023 saw a rise in the number of people signing up to other providers using eSIM technology, as it was quick and easy to get connected to another network.
While it might not always be practical to sign up to a new eSIM plan during every outage, especially if the outage doesn’t last long, it may be worth having a back up eSIM plan and on a different network to your primary number. This can be useful if you need phone access for work. Most new phones have eSIM (and therefore, dual-SIM) compatibility, but make sure your device supports this before signing up.
If you want to keep your service active long term, there are many lower cost providers offering eSIM compatibility. You could even try a set-and-forget 365-day prepaid plan or hunt around for a cheap Pay As You Go (PAYG) mobile plan. PAYG plans are like the traditional prepaid plan where your usage comes out of your plan’s balance. They’re not widely available but a good way to keep a number active over a long period without paying too much.
Of course, if you sign up to an eSIM plan, even temporarily, you’ll get a new phone number rather than porting your existing number across. However, you’ll still be able to access your phone as normal even if you’re using your eSIM service.
Have some emergency cash on hand
Many retail payment services rely on mobile networks, as was evident during the Telstra outage. For any urgent purchases, such as groceries and medication, consider keeping a small stash of emergency cash available. Stores that accept cash, such as supermarkets, may still be able to operate cash only if their EFTPOS is down.
Go old-school with radio and free-to-air TV
Before our phones, we used to rely on radio and free-to-air TV to know what was going on in the world. If you’ve got a TV and you can connect to free-to-air (not streaming), or you’ve got a radio handy, switch over to the news to keep up to date. It might seem like a no brainer, but how many of us still have a portable radio on hand?
Check-in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours
If there’s a network outage and you know that a vulnerable friend, family member or neighbour is impacted, drop in for a visit if you can. Even if it’s just to let them know what’s going on and to check if they need anything.
