Sydney Resident Dies After Triple Zero Call Fails on Outdated Samsung Phone

Tragic Incident Highlights Emergency Call Vulnerabilities

A Sydney resident has died after an emergency triple zero (000) call failed to connect on November 13, 2025. The incident involved a customer using TPG Telecom's Lebara service and an older Samsung mobile phone. TPG Telecom confirmed the death on November 18, stating that early investigations point to outdated software on the device as the cause of the failure. The company's network was operational at the time of the attempted call, with no outages reported.

TPG Telecom CEO Inaki Berroeta expressed profound regret, stating, 'This is a tragic incident, and our condolences and thoughts are with the individual's family and loved ones. Customer safety remains our highest priority. Access to emergency services is critical.'

Outdated Software Identified as Root Cause

The failure to connect the emergency call has been attributed to the Samsung device operating on software that was not compatible with making triple zero calls on the network. This issue specifically affects older Samsung models that may fail to switch to an alternate network—a process known as 'Triple Zero fallback'—when the customer's primary mobile network is unavailable. The problem was initially identified by other major Australian telcos, Telstra and Optus, in late October.

A range of older Samsung devices have been flagged as potentially affected, including models from the Galaxy S6 and S7 series, the Note 5, and several mid-range J-series devices. Specific models mentioned include:

• Galaxy A7 (2017)
• Galaxy A5 (2017)
• Galaxy J1 (2016)
• Galaxy J3 (2016)
• Galaxy J5 (2017)
• Galaxy Note 5
• Galaxy S6
• Galaxy S6 Edge
• Galaxy S6 Edge+
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S7 Edge

TPG has urged all customers with these older devices to update their software or replace their handsets without delay to ensure they can reach emergency services. Under new federal rules, devices that remain unpatched after 28-35 days may be blocked from accessing mobile networks to prevent potential emergency-call failures.

Increased Scrutiny on Telecommunications Industry

This tragic event adds to the growing pressure on Australia's telecommunications providers regarding the reliability of emergency call services. The incident follows recent widespread outages, including a significant one at Optus that affected thousands and was linked to multiple deaths, prompting a parliamentary inquiry. Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells, the Triple Zero Custodian, the NSW government, and the telecommunications watchdog have all been notified of the TPG incident.

The telecommunications industry is now under intense scrutiny to ensure robust systems are in place to safeguard access to emergency services. TPG has committed to working with Samsung and regulators to ensure affected customers are promptly informed and supported.