An error during a firewall update in September caused a disruption across several states and territories, preventing customers from reaching emergency services.

During a Senate inquiry today, Optus CEO Stephen Rue acknowledged the errors made by the telecom company both during and after the incident.

Rue expressed that stepping down from his role was not the appropriate course of action at this juncture.

“I am convinced that introducing a new leader now would not serve Optus or our customers well,” he stated.

Following criticism over having crucial infrastructure and call centers based overseas, Rue announced that Optus is implementing changes due to the triple-zero service failure.

“We are in the process of bringing back calls related to triple-zero emergencies and vulnerable customers to be handled domestically within Australia,” he explained.

“Our contact centre procedures have been overhauled, including a mandatory escalation process for any customer reports of triple-zero issues.”