Report Into Triple Zero Experiences Reveals Need And Mandate For Emergency Ecosystem Uplift

New research from peak communications consumer body ACCAN has shed light on failed attempts to contact Triple Zero, pointing to gaps in network reliability, public awareness and the broader emergency calling ecosystem.

The research, titled Experiences and Barriers in Contacting Triple Zero: Full Report, examines consumer experiences and perceptions of contacting Triple Zero from a mobile phone. It was conducted by ACCAN in collaboration with Essential Research, surveying 1,027 consumers in May 2026.

The report follows ACCAN’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker from February and March 2026, which found that one in 10 Australians reported they or a family member were unable to contact Triple Zero from a mobile phone due to a mobile outage.

Mobile reliance leaves little room for error

The survey found 75 per cent of consumers rely on mobile as their only way to reach Triple Zero, while 88 per cent said mobile would be the first method they would try in an emergency.

Eight per cent of consumers reported that they or a family member could not contact Triple Zero due to a mobile outage in the past 12 months. That figure sits close to the 10 per cent recorded in the February wave of the Consumer Sentiment Tracker, with ACCAN noting the difference between the two surveys is not statistically significant.

Of the 17 per cent of consumers who had genuine reason to contact Triple Zero in the past 12 months, 18 per cent reported they could not connect on their first attempt. That equates to roughly 3 per cent of all consumers who both needed to contact Triple Zero and experienced a connection failure on their first try.

Among those who used a mobile to call Triple Zero, 81 per cent said the call connected on the first attempt, 16 per cent said it connected only after one or more failed attempts, and 1 per cent said the call never connected at all.

Common issues reported by callers included delays before being connected to an operator, unclear or cutting audio, calls that appeared to have signal but would not connect, and calls that dropped before being answered.

Mobile network issues are widespread

The report found that problems mirroring conditions which could cause a Triple Zero failure are common across the wider population. Sixty eight per cent of consumers reported experiencing no signal or very weak signal in a location where they expected coverage at least once in the past 12 months, while 58 per cent reported a complete loss of mobile coverage.

Thirty one per cent of consumers said they had wanted to make a call but were unable to do so because of a problem with their mobile service, and 56 per cent said they find themselves in a location with no signal at all a few times a year or more.

Awareness of emergency camp-on remains low

The survey found 73 per cent of consumers were unaware that a mobile phone may attempt to connect through a different available network when calling Triple Zero during an outage, a process known as emergency camp-on.

ACCAN explained that emergency camp-on allows a mobile phone to use another network to place an emergency call when a customer’s own provider lacks usable coverage, improving the chance of connecting, though it still depends on some mobile coverage being available.

The report flagged that low awareness of camp-on could be a problem if consumers hang up before the process has a chance to work. Among those who had experienced an issue contacting Triple Zero, 46 per cent said they did not wait on the line for more than a minute before trying again, while more broadly 51 per cent of consumers said they typically wait less than a minute before hanging up and re-dialling during a service disruption.

Awareness of alternative emergency numbers and tools was also limited. Only 24 per cent of consumers had heard of the emergency number 112, and among those aware of it, understanding of how it works was mixed. Just 8 per cent of consumers were aware of any mobile app that helps share location with emergency services, although 77 per cent said they would be interested in using one if it were available.

Eleven per cent of consumers said they would not know what else to try if their call to Triple Zero failed.

Confidence and trust under pressure

Forty three per cent of consumers said they were concerned a mobile call to Triple Zero could fail to connect during an emergency, broadly consistent with the 47 per cent recorded in February 2026.

Twenty two per cent of consumers said their trust in the Triple Zero system had declined over the past two years, compared with 12 per cent who said their trust had increased.

Personal experience appeared to have a strong influence on concern levels. Among consumers who had experienced an issue contacting Triple Zero, 53 per cent said they were now more concerned about being able to reach emergency services in future. Separately, 39 per cent of all consumers said news reports about people having issues contacting Triple Zero had made them more concerned.

Sixty six per cent of consumers said they felt confident they could reach Triple Zero from their mobile wherever they were in Australia, while 52 per cent agreed the current reliability of mobile networks for emergency calling in Australia is good enough. Eighty four per cent agreed that gaps in mobile coverage in rural and remote areas create greater risks for emergency calling.

Calls for accountability and modernisation

The report found strong support for regulatory action, with 91 per cent of consumers agreeing telcos have a responsibility to ensure Triple Zero calls connect even during a network outage, and 89 per cent supporting government mandated minimum standards for emergency call reliability.

There was also support for modernising access to emergency services for people who cannot make a voice call. Eighty two per cent of consumers agreed a video relay service for Triple Zero should be available for deaf and hard of hearing people, and 80 per cent agreed text messaging to Triple Zero should be available to all mobile users.

The report noted SMS to Triple Zero is not currently available in Australia, despite 20 per cent of consumers saying they would try texting 000 if they needed emergency help, and 10 per cent reporting they had previously attempted to contact Triple Zero via text message. ACCAN said this could point to unsuccessful attempts by members of the public to reach emergency services by text, confusion with other services such as the 106 text based emergency service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature.

Awareness of recent network changes was also patchy. Fifty five per cent of consumers had heard the 3G mobile network had been shut down, but only 31 per cent were aware that some mobile phones may no longer be able to call Triple Zero as a result.

ACCAN calls for further research and reform

ACCAN Chief Executive Officer Carol Bennett said the findings point to a public expectation that government and industry take further action on emergency communications.

“Our survey reveals a clear mandate for reform,” Bennett said. “Australians rightly expect that when they need emergency assistance, they can reach Triple Zero quickly and reliably.”

Bennett said the findings show failures can take many forms beyond large scale network outages.

“Coverage gaps, technical issues and low public awareness can all affect a person’s ability to contact emergency services when they need help most,” she said.

She called for reliability standards to be applied to telecommunications networks, backed by enforcement and accountability mechanisms.

“This report does not provide all the answers, but it reflects the public’s view that we face a problem that demands closer examination,” Bennett said. “Our research is but a first step to understanding the views and experiences of the public on emergency connectivity. We strongly suggest that further consumer experience research be conducted to lay the groundwork for reform efforts and a public education campaign.”

“Australians depend on mobile phones as their primary way of contacting emergency services. Our emergency communications framework must reflect that reality.”

Methodology

The Triple Zero Experience Survey was conducted online by Essential Research between 11 and 20 May 2026, with a sample of 1,027 Australian residents aged 18 and over who are customers of mobile or home internet services. Quotas were applied for gender, age and location, and RIM weighting was applied using Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The survey carries a maximal margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent at the 95 per cent confidence level.

The full report is available on the ACCAN website.

Last Updated on July 1, 2026 by Nick Ross