Optus, Australia’s second-largest network operator, experienced a nationwide Optus outage that left more than 10 million customers and 400,000 businesses without phone and internet services for over eight hours. The outage, attributed to a “technical network fault,” caused widespread disruptions, impacting payment systems, public transport, hospitals, and emergency services. While CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin confirmed that some services were gradually being restored, she and her team had not yet identified the root cause of the issue. The outage also affected non-Optus customers, highlighting the critical interdependence of Australia’s communication networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland urged Optus to improve communication with affected customers, emphasizing the need for transparency in addressing such incidents. The outage raised concerns about the resilience of Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure, prompting calls for greater accountability and solutions to prevent future disruptions.