A report into the Optus triple-0 catastrophe has recommended industry-wide changes.

In a response to last year's significant network outage at Optus, which left approximately 10 million Australians without access to essential phone and internet services, the federal government has endorsed a set of recommendations aimed at overhauling the nation's emergency communication systems. 

This follows the Bean Review, which investigated the failures during the November 8 incident, highlighting severe deficiencies in emergency communication provisions.

The review by lead investigator Richard Bean detailed an extensive list of 18 recommendations, which the government has accepted in full. 

It pointed out that during the outage, no single entity had a complete view of the network's status, which “significantly hampered the dissemination of accurate and timely advice to the community”.

The changes include the creation of a new ‘Triple Zero custodian’ role, tasked solely with ensuring the operational integrity of Australia's emergency contact capabilities. 

The report also suggests a new mandate for telecommunication companies to share real-time outage data with emergency services.

“This review is the most comprehensive examination of the triple-0 ecosystem in over a decade,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland stated. 

“It means we have a workable blueprint to implement changes that will help improve the resilience of telecommunications in this country.”

The review has also proposed that telecom companies should have the authority to shut down their towers during major outages, allowing calls to be rerouted through other providers' networks, ensuring uninterrupted access to emergency services.

Optus says it has already initiated several critical changes to its network configurations, including reconfiguring its routers to better handle similar situations in the future. 

Michael Venter, interim CEO of Optus, has assured ongoing cooperation with regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders to implement the review's recommendations effectively.

The report also raises concerns about the scheduled shutdown of the 3G network, with fears that this could further complicate emergency call routings.