Optus is working to manage the significant impact to Optus services that has occurred as a result of a series of extreme weather events in the North Queensland region of Queensland on or about Thursday 27 November through to Saturday 29 November 2008.
Due to the effect of damage to the Optus telecommunications network which was caused by a severe weather event, it brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding. There has been a significant increase in the number of Optus services being reported as faulty. As a result, there has been some disruption to service and delays to normal installation and repair activities. Optus apologises to any affected customers.
Information as to the nature of these severe weather events can be sourced from the Weather zone website located at (http://www.weatherzone.com.au ) Heavy rainfall and flash flooding referred to in their news article of Friday November 28, 2008 at 09:13 am. These events have now been widely reported in the news media since the events.
Optus has identified that the effect of these circumstances applies to approximately 735 services. This number may increase as Optus assesses the full affect of the extreme weather conditions. Based on current information, the resumption date of normal service operations is expected to be 19 December 2008. This date is indicative only; Optus customers should anticipate that some further delays may occur. Optus regrets any inconvenience caused to customers and thanks them for their patience while this work is being undertaken.
Optus services encompassed in this exemption are; in the area bounded by and including, but is not limited to the area starting at Trinity Beach following the coast south through Cairns, Innisfail, Cardwell and Townsville to Alva Beach, then southwest inland to Reid River, then west to Dalrymple National Park, then north to the southern tip of the Paluma Range National Park. Follow the eastern border of the Paluma Range National Park in an anti clock wise direction to Hidden Valley then north west to Camel Creek then north to Girringun National Park then east to Cardwell. From Cardwell follow the eastern boundary of the Cardwell Ranges to Tully Falls, then go north-east to Palmerston, then west to Innot Hot Springs, north-west to Wolfram and north east through Biboohra and Kuranda back to Trinity Beach.
Services in the area mentioned above with phone numbers in the following number ranges may have been affected:
07 4031 0002 To 07 4069 4912 07 4741 5117 To 07 4758 1997
07 4081 0000 To 07 4098 5111 07 4770 1000 To 07 4798 6198
07 4721 0000 To 07 4729 1998 07 4028 3000 To 07 4028 3999
07 4205 5000 To 07 4205 5999 07 4221 0000 To 07 4402 1999
07 4420 0000 To 07 4420 8999 07 4420 8000 To 07 4420 8999
As these circumstances were outside of Optus’s control, Optus is claiming an extension to time frames applying under the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2000 (No.2). This means that Optus is notifying customers that normal service time frames may not be met during the period of 01 December 2008 to 19 December 2008 inclusive (based on Optus’s estimated recovery schedule correct at the time of publication of this notice).
