Optus to Block Older Samsung Phones That Could Miss Emergency Calls

Optus will notify affected customers from Oct. 22, with older Samsung models to be blocked within 35 days to ensure Triple Zero access.

The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen at the company's store in Seoul, South Korea, April 15, 2025. Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

Some older Samsung phones could fail to reach Triple Zero (000) during emergencies, Optus has warned. The telco will block the affected models from its network within the next month to ensure all devices can contact emergency services.

When a mobile phone cannot connect to its usual network, it automatically switches to another available network to reach Triple Zero.

However, Optus and some other carriers have identified Samsung handsets that will not switch networks in certain circumstances.

“These situations relate to rare occasions when both the Optus and Telstra networks are unavailable, and the phone needs to switch to Vodafone to contact emergency services,” Optus said in a statement.

The company added that the problem does not stem from its own network and will not affect customers calling Triple Zero while connected to the Optus or Telstra networks.

The problem occurs only in rare cases where both those networks are down and a phone must switch to Vodafone to reach emergency services.

Impacted Devices to Be Blocked Within 35 Days

Optus confirmed it has started contacting customers whose Samsung phones are affected with instructions on what to do next.

“These impacted devices need to be replaced to ensure they can reach Triple Zero during an emergency,” the telco said.

“To help keep the community safe, all identified devices will be blocked by Optus from between 28 to 35 days after customers are notified.”

The affected models include older Samsung Galaxy devices, such as: Galaxy A7 (2017), A5 (2017), J1 (2016), J3 (2016), J5 (2017), Note 5, S6/S6 Edge/S6 Edge+, and S7/S7 Edge.

Once blocked, the phones will no longer be able to make or receive calls, send texts, or use mobile data—and even Wi-Fi calling will be disabled.

Roaming customers entering Australia with a blocked device will also be unable to connect to the Optus network.

Optus Under Pressure After Triple Zero Failures

The warning comes weeks after Optus faced public outrage and regulatory scrutiny over Triple Zero outages linked to at least three deaths, including that of an eight-week-old baby.

The outages, affecting hundreds of households across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory, were traced to a failed network upgrade.

Optus Chief Executive Stephen Rue admitted responsibility, saying it was not clear why only emergency calls were affected or why backup systems did not take over.

Following the failures, Communications Minister Anika Wells ordered Optus to appoint an independent external reviewer to restore public confidence.

“This is for Optus to take accountability for,” Wells said after meeting with the Singtel and Optus leadership team.

“The outages were completely unacceptable, and Australians need guarantees that the system will not fail again.”

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has since launched a formal investigation into the outages and Optus’s handling of emergency call protocols.

Users can check whether their phone is affected by visiting www.optus.com.au or calling 133 937 for assistance.