Your triple zero call could take up to 60 seconds to connect. Here’s why
Key takeaways
- The federal government and telcos are warning that 000 calls can go silent for up to a minute if your phone needs to switch networks during an emergency.
- If your initial call doesn't connect within about five seconds, the advice is to hang up and dial triple zero again straight away.
- What's next: Temporary disaster roaming is set to launch in October, letting your phone connect to another mobile network in eligible regional and rural areas when a major natural disaster hits.
If you call triple zero and get silence, don't panic and hang up too soon.
The federal government and Australia's three mobile carriers, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, have launched a public information campaign this week.
It warns that emergency calls can go silent for up to a minute while your phone searches for a network that can connect you.
You may also receive similar communications from smaller mobile providers that use their networks.
Why you might wait up to 60 seconds when calling triple zero
When you dial triple zero, your phone will use your existing mobile provider's network to connect you.
If that network isn't available, your handset automatically searches for another carrier's network to carry the call.
This is known as "camp-on", a safeguard built into the system to help your emergency call get through.
The catch is that switching networks takes time, so you may hear silence for up to 60 seconds.
The campaign follows Dr Kerry Schott's review of the Optus triple zero outage in September 2025, which found that many Australians didn't understand how their phone connects to emergency services when their usual network is down.
Optus spokesperson, Jane McNamara, said access to triple zero is one of the most important services the country's networks support.
By raising awareness of safeguards such as emergency camp-on and providing simple guidance people can use in a high-pressure situation, we're helping Australians better prepare for the moments when reliable access to triple zero matters most.
What to do if your triple zero call doesn't connect
If your call hasn't connected within around five seconds, the advice is to hang up and dial triple zero again straight away.
Just keep in mind that "emergency camp-on" won't work if you're outside the coverage of all three mobile networks.
If that happens, try a landline or public phone if one is available.
You can also connect to Wi-Fi and use Wi-Fi Calling on your handset.
Temporary disaster roaming on track for October
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have confirmed they're on track to switch on temporary disaster roaming from October, just in time for the coming high-risk weather season.
Temporary disaster roaming, or TDR, is designed to keep people connected when a bushfire, flood or storm knocks out a mobile network.
If your provider's coverage goes down in an affected area, TDR lets your phone connect to another carrier's network so you can still call for help or contact family.
Final stretch
The three major network providers have spent the past few years building and testing the capability, and they're now in the final stretch.
Telstra said it has "extensively tested the solution in a range of scenarios" and agreed with the other carriers on the conditions for switching it on and off.
Optus, which has been working on TDR with the government and its industry partners since 2023, said it has finished initial testing "including in live and field environments" and is now working through its final readiness checks.
The main focus now is the trigger itself, or how TDR actually gets switched on in the middle of a disaster.
"We have trialled the technology underpinning TDR successfully with Optus and Telstra, and testing of the activation process is now underway," a Vodafone spokesperson said.
"These tests are essential to ensure the safe and reliable operation of TDR during a natural disaster."
The telcos say they'll share more details as the launch gets closer.
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