Vodafone not impacted by Optus Triple Zero outages, despite network sharing agreement

A Vodafone spokesperson has confirmed that customers on its network were not impacted by Optus' two recent Triple Zero outages, despite the network sharing arrangement between the two companies. 

Since January 30, Vodafone customers have been able to use the Optus network in regional Australia, greatly increasing Vodafone's network footprint. Vodafone's core network is separate and independent, however. 

"While Vodafone and Optus do have a regional network sharing agreement, it’s based on a model called MOCN (Multi Operator Core Network). This means we share radio access equipment (including spectrum and mobile sites/towers), but our core networks are separate and independent," said the Vodafone spokesperson.

"A core network is the central part of a telco’s infrastructure that manages call routing, data services, service differentiation, and emergency services like Triple Zero. It’s essentially the brain of the network. Because Vodafone operates its own core network, we maintain full control over how calls and data are handled."

The spokesperson explained that the MOCN implementation is different from roaming, where one telco's customers temporarily use another telco's entire network, including its core. 

"Roaming can be useful in remote areas, but it means relying on another provider’s systems, which can introduce risks or limitations. By having our own core network, Vodafone ensures greater control, reliability, and independence, especially for essential services like Triple Zero."

The Optus network experienced two Triple Zero outages in the last two weeks. The first occurred on September 18 and impacted customers in South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and parts of New South Wales. The second occurred yesterday in Dapto in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. 

The scrutiny on Optus has only increased following the second Triple Zero outage yesterday. Consumer advocacy group ACCAN's CEO Carol Bennet said that Australians "demand certainty" that Triple Zero services work when they need them most. 

"Every time the network goes down, it undermines public confidence and puts people at risk. This can be catastrophic and cause immense harm," said Bennett. "The community must have confidence that the emergency call system works 100% of the time when they most need it."

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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