SYDNEY: So much for working from home, at least for Optus mobile users … The Optus mobile network yesterday suffered a severe outage across NSW, starting just after midday. By 14.00 it was spiking, with many Optus users across Sydney reporting no service.

The Central Coast – where CDN is headquartered – also suffered. This reporter has two Optus-connected devices and couldn’t receive or contact people through his mobiles. 

The outage possibly began as early as Tuesday when our contacts began complaining that reception was breaking up, an unusual occurrence because Optus has usually been very reliable.

Reports of outages came from Sydney’s Condell Park and Dundas and as far afield as the NSW far North Coast. An Optus outage chart showed the network had returned to near-normal by 15:00, impacting peak business times. 

All seemed well until this reporter tried to send a text message – and the outage had returned within minutes. The cause wasn’t clear as CDN went to press. – CC