business
Telstra Handles Outage Response Without External Advisers
The telecommunications company managed its network outage internally and did not engage its five registered lobbying firms or a crisis communications adviser. A second outage later affected access to emergency services for some customers.
Jul 9, 3:00 PM·1m read1 source
The Sydney Morning HeraldAudio version
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Telstra responded to a network outage without assistance from its five registered lobbying firms or an outside crisis adviser. The company’s chief financial officer addressed the incident in public comments on Wednesday. A second outage occurred later that day, leaving some customers unable to reach emergency services. The company confirmed it had not called on its lobbyists during the response.
According to the attorney-general’s lobbyist register, Telstra retains five firms. They include SEC Newgate, Principle Advisory, Scott Mitchell and Partners, Anacta Strategies, and PremierNational. A company spokesman stated the lobbyists were not involved in the outage response.
The company also reduced its advertising during a State of Origin match to avoid drawing further attention to the disruption.
“Yesterday our focus was on restoring all services as quickly as possible and supporting our customers. We know how much our customers rely on our network and understand just how much of a disruption this has been. For that, we’re very sorry. We hope everyone enjoyed a great game last night.”
The company said its priority remained restoring services and assisting affected customers.
