Simple Advice To Help Customers Connect To Triple Zero
Australia’s three mobile network operators are working closely with peak industry body, the Australian Telecommunications Alliance (ATA), and the government-appointed Triple Zero Custodian to launch a public information campaign to help ensure Australians can reliably connect to Triple Zero (000) when needed.
Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom, ATA and the Triple Zero Custodian will begin sharing this advice via direct emails, on social media, on company websites, on the triplezero.gov.au site, and via front line customer service staff.
The public information campaign will commence on Monday 24 August and will roll out throughout the week. It is expected to reach Australians who are customers of the three major carriers or their respective sub-brands and most retail partners.
Here’s how it works, the backups in place, and what to do if you’re having trouble connecting.
What happens when you call 000?
When you call 000 from a mobile phone, it will first try to connect using your mobile network. If your network isn’t available, your phone will try to connect to another mobile network, if available. This is known as ‘emergency camp-on’.
What does ‘emergency camp-on’ mean?
If your network is unavailable, your phone looks for another available mobile network and temporarily connects to call 000. You don’t need to change any settings or do anything yourself. It works automatically at no cost to you, even without an active SIM in your phone.
What to do if your 000 call doesn’t seem to be connecting?
The ‘emergency camp-on’ process can take time to connect to another network. Generally, there will be silence on the line while this happens.
- If your initial call doesn’t connect within around five seconds, hang up and try again immediately.
- On subsequent attempts, stay on the line for up to 60 seconds to give your phone the best chance to connect via another network.
All phones are different; if ‘emergency camp-on’ is available, iPhone will show ‘SOS’ or ‘SOS only’ depending on iOS version. Android will show ‘Emergency calls only, ‘No service – emergency calls only’, or a small SOS icon. If your phone shows ‘No service’, there is no mobile network coverage available where you are and you will not be able to call 000 using a mobile network.
Look for other ways to get help while you’re holding the line:
‘Emergency camp-on’ won’t work if you are outside the coverage range of all mobile networks.
In this situation:
- Use a landline phone or public phone, if available
- Connect to Wi-Fi and use Wi‑Fi calling on your device.
Additional tips to be prepared for an emergency:
- Install new software updates as soon as they become available. Software updates may improve the capability of your phone to reach Triple Zero in an emergency.
- Regularly restart your phone. Restarting your phone ensures that updates are installed correctly and increases the reliability of device’s behaviour.
- Turn on Wi-Fi in your phone’s settings. This allows emergency calls to be made over a Wi-Fi connection if you don’t have mobile coverage. For Triple Zero calls, your phone will always try to use a mobile network first before attempting a Wi-Fi call.
More information
Your safety is incredibly important to us. Access to 000 is a vital service, and we remain committed to providing reliable ways for customers to connect during an emergency.
If you cannot connect to Triple Zero, keep yourself safe, move away from danger if possible, help others where safe to do so, seek help from people nearby, or use any available means to contact emergency services.
For more information on connecting to 000, please visit: triplezero.gov.au
This information has been developed by the Australian Telecommunications Alliance, Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom in consultation with the Triple Zero Custodian.
Luke Coleman, CEO of Australian Telecommunications Alliance (ATA), said: “We’ve been working closely with the three major mobile network operators and the Triple Zero Custodian to develop this campaign.
“Our priority is to ensure Australians are equipped with simple advice they can recall and use in a worst-case scenario if they need to call Triple Zero and find their usual network is unavailable.”
ENDS
