How a mind-numbing acronym became a matter of life and death
Telco bosses admit they can’t guarantee triple zero will work for every phone as the 3G shutdown exposes deadly gaps in Australia’s 4G and 5G networks.
There were 14.6 million calls to Triple Zero in 2025, but only 11.7 million of them were transferred to emergency services. Bethany Rae
naki Berroeta, the boss of one of Australia’s biggest telecommunications companies, was clearly uncomfortable as he faced a row of angry senators ready to grill him about Australia’s escalating triple-zero crisis.
Jenny WigginsSenior reporterJenny Wiggins writes on business, specialising in infrastructure and data centres. Connect with Jenny on Bluesky: @jennywiggins.bsky.social. Email Jenny at jwiggins@afr.com
