Optus did not escalate at least five calls that were made to its customer service centre, including two from NSW, that informed the telecommunications company that a technical error was preventing customers from calling triple zero.
CEO Stephen Rue this afternoon confirmed that Optus had found a further three calls, additional to the two announced yesterday, where customers had complained that they could not call triple zero.
Rue said the calls were not adequately escalated within Optus' system, meaning the telco was unaware of a major systemic failure until after 13 hours.
The inability to call triple zero affected South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory between 12.30am and 1.30pm on Thursday.
A total of three deaths have thus far linked to the outage.
A fourth, the death of of an eight-month-old baby boy in Adelaide's north, was originally linked but South Australian police have said they believe the outage is unlikely to have contributed to the infant's death.
Today Rue said two of the calls to Optus customer service complaining of the outage came from New South Wales – although this is likely because they were situated near the South Australian border and their calls likely connected to South Australian towers.
He said welfare checks had been conducted, and that no serious injury or death had been reported as a result of the two calls in New South Wales.
More to come…
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Before becoming secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services and leader of the Make America Healthy Again movement, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a swashbuckling environmental attorney who regularly took aim at the meat industry. He sued large meat companies and the Environmental Protection Agency over water pollution from factory farms, and […]
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/snow-falling-on-a-montreal-street-full-of-row-houses-and-low-rise-apartment-buildings-illustrative.jpg?id=53829286&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C85%2C0%2C85"/><br/><br/><p> A new report reveals just <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-average-rent-by-neighbourhood-september-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how much you need to earn to afford rent</a> in some of Canada's biggest cities, and spoiler alert: It's a lot.
</p><p> If you're thinking about <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/moving-to-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moving to Canada</a> or wondering where the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/how-much-you-need-to-make-to-afford-a-home-canada-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most affordable cities in Canada</a> are, this breakdown from real estate platform Zoocasa might make you think twice about your next move. Whether you're in Vancouver, Montreal or Saskatoon, rent is taking up a huge chunk of people's income — especially those earning minimum wage — and it's costing more and more to <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/how-much-you-need-to-earn-to-live-comfortably-in-quebec-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live comfortably in 2024</a>.</p><p> According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), no more than 32% of your income should go toward housing costs — but <a href="https://www.zoocasa.com/blog/how-much-should-minimum-wage-be-to-afford-rent-across-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zoocasa's report</a> reveals that in cities like Montreal, Quebec City and even smaller spots like Regina, this just isn't happening. In fact, many Canadians are paying nearly double what they should to keep a roof over their heads.
</p><p> The report shows the required hourly wages and annual incomes Canadians need in order to afford rent for an average one-bedroom apartment in different cities across the country. These numbers are based on full-time hours (37.5 hours per week) and the 32% rule for income allocation. Here's a snapshot of the findings:
</p><ul>
<li>Vancouver: $51.73 per hour ($100,875 annually)</li>
<li>Toronto: $48.08 per hour ($93,750 annually)</li>
<li>Victoria: $41.54 per hour ($81,000 annually)</li>
<li>Halifax: $40.38 per hour ($78,750 annually)</li>
<li>Ottawa: $38.65 per hour ($75,375 annually)</li>
<li>Calgary: $34.23 per hour ($66,750 annually)</li>
<li><strong>Montreal: $33.46 per hour ($65,250 annually)</strong></li>
<li>Hamilton: $33.27 per hour ($64,875 annually)</li>
<li>Winnipeg: $28.46 per hour ($55,500 annually)</li>
<li>Quebec City: $27.31 per hour ($53,250 annually)</li>
<li>Edmonton: $26.15 per hour ($51,000 annually)</li>
<li>Regina: $25 per hour ($48,750 annually)</li>
<li>Saskatoon: $24.42 per hour ($47,625 annually)</li>
</ul><p> The study reveals the harsh reality that nowhere in Canada is minimum wage enough to cover the average rent cost of living alone. </p><p>For example, the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-minimum-wage-isnt-enough-to-live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minimum wage in Quebec</a> is currently $15.75 per hour, but a full-time worker earning that would only be able to afford around $819 per month in rent — way less than the actual average of $1,740 in Montreal. Meanwhile, even if they paired up with a roommate and split the cost of a two-bedroom, they'd be looking at $1,130 for their half.</p><p> According to Zoocasa, the gap between income and rent costs continues to widen, making it harder for Canadians to afford housing without exceeding the recommended budget guidelines. This affordability crisis is leaving many with no choice but to stretch their finances beyond comfortable limits or consider relocating to more affordable cities — where job opportunities are typically fewer as well.
</p><p> For anyone moving within Canada or those thinking about calling Canada home, this report is a crucial wake-up call. Where you live could significantly affect your financial well-being, so it's important to know just how much you'll need to make to stay afloat.</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em>
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<em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em>
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<p>Two persons have tragically lost their lives following an early morning gas explosion at the Ralph Engineering facility located along Enerhen Road in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. The blast, which occurred past 5 am on Sunday, sent shockwaves through the area, causing widespread panic among residents. The explosion, which originated from the […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/30/gas-explosion-kills-two-at-ralph-engineering-facility-in-delta-state/">Gas Explosion Kills Two At Ralph Engineering Facility In Delta State</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.naijanews.com">Naija News</a>.</p>
