The Times Australia
Business and Money

Optus said it didn't have the 'soundbite' to explain the crisis. We should expect better

  • Written by Peter Roberts, Lecturer, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW Sydney
Optus said it didn't have the 'soundbite' to explain the crisis. We should expect better

Asked on Wednesday to explain why Optus broadband and mobile services had been simultaneously knocked out for five hours, its chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin blamed a “technical network fault[1]”, and then added:

There is no soundbite that is going to do it justice, so we want to really bottom-out the root cause, and when we have that very clear and in a digestible form, we will be forthcoming.

There are a couple of ways to interpret this statement. Either she didn’t want to indicate what her engineers really thought had happened, or she believed Optus users wouldn’t be able to understand the truth.

Or she might not have been thinking about Optus users.

Her reference to a “soundbite[2]” seems to suggest Optus regards its key audience as the media rather than its customers.

Optus is baked into too much of what we do

With more than 10 million[3] mobile customers alone, accounting for more than one-third of Australia’s population, the Singapore-owned[4] Optus has become integrated into almost everything[5] Australia does, from the operation of railways to automatic teller machines, to hospitals to emergency services.

Its customers, both corporate and personal, have become increasingly familiar with technical terms and technical explanations.

Those customers not only know more than they did – understanding many of the terms that apply to both software and hardware – but they expect more from technology, knowing that even some of their own jobs can potentially be replaced by artificially intelligent algorithms.

Many of those customers would be not only be asking “how did this happen”, but also “how could this be allowed to happen, given what technology is capable of”.

DownDetector, November 8 2023[6] The golden hour Crisis communicators have long spoken of the need to respond within the so-called “golden hour[7]”, a concept taken from the emergency services where it is important to get to the injured party promptly. In an increasingly automated world, that’s what Optus ought to have been able to do. Its core business is using technology for communications. If it couldn’t use its mobile network, it ought to have been ready to use something else, even email. Technology firms have built-in intensifiers Crisis communications expert Timothy Coombs argues that the damage done to reputations during a crisis can be worsened by “intensifiers[8]”, such as the organisation’s past history of crises, its track record, and sometimes the severity of damage caused. Significantly, he finds no “halo effect” from having handled things well in the past, only a “Velcro effect” from having handled things badly. Read more: In a crisis, Optus appears to be ignoring Communications 101[9] To that I would add that a further intensifier is the extent to which an organisation suffering from a technology failure is itself a technology organisation. It’s hard to argue you are a victim of something you have put yourself forward as a master of. Sharing what it knows, on the assumption that at least some of its users will understand it, would be one way of indicating that Optus trusts its customers and is worthy of their trust. References^ technical network fault (www.afr.com)^ soundbite (dictionary.cambridge.org)^ 10 million (treasury.gov.au)^ Singapore-owned (www.singtel.com)^ almost everything (www.9news.com.au)^ DownDetector, November 8 2023 (downdetector.com.au)^ golden hour (www.linkedin.com)^ intensifiers (journals.sagepub.com)^ In a crisis, Optus appears to be ignoring Communications 101 (theconversation.com)Authors: Peter Roberts, Lecturer, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW Sydney

Read more https://theconversation.com/optus-said-it-didnt-have-the-soundbite-to-explain-the-crisis-we-should-expect-better-217302

Business Times

Your CEO Has More Reach Than Your Ad Budget – You’re Just Not Usi…

By Patrice Pandeleos, Managing Director of Seven Communications If your CEO hides behind a logo while competitors build infl...

From Farms to Festivals: How Regional NSW Is Repurposing Shipping…

Regional NSW communities are repurposing containers for farms, tourism, and events Farmers and small businesses use them...

Nail it with points: Flybuys members can redeem points for instan…

Flybuys launches new in-store redemption at Bunnings stores across Australia Tuesday 19 August, 2025 – Flybuys, Australia’s ...

The Times Features

How much money do you need to be happy? Here’s what the research says

Over the next decade, Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire[1]. The Tesla board recently proposed a US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion) compensation plan, if Musk ca...

NSW has a new fashion sector strategy – but a sustainable industry needs a federally legislated response

The New South Wales government recently announced the launch of the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy, 2025–28[1]. The strategy, developed in partnership with the Australian Fashion ...

From Garden to Gift: Why Roses Make the Perfect Present

Think back to the last time you gave or received flowers. Chances are, roses were part of the bunch, or maybe they were the whole bunch.   Roses tend to leave an impression. Even ...

Do I have insomnia? 5 reasons why you might not

Even a single night of sleep trouble can feel distressing and lonely. You toss and turn, stare at the ceiling, and wonder how you’ll cope tomorrow. No wonder many people star...

Wedding Photography Trends You Need to Know (Before You Regret Your Album)

Your wedding album should be a timeless keepsake, not something you cringe at years later. Trends may come and go, but choosing the right wedding photography approach ensures your ...

Can you say no to your doctor using an AI scribe?

Doctors’ offices were once private. But increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) scribes (also known as digital scribes) are listening in. These tools can record and trans...