Customer Service Advice from Optus

Extreme Weather events impact service in Darling Downs and Granite Belt District of Queensland.

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 Darling Downs and Granite Belt region of Queensland on or about Thursday 11 December 2014.

Due to the effect of damage to the telecommunications network by severe thunderstorms, 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 Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Large hailstones, damaging wind and heavy rainfall are referred to in the BOM Severe Weather Warning issued for 11 December 2014 initially at 10:50 am Thursday, 11 December 2014; all of which were widely reported in the news media after the events.

Optus has identified that the effect of these circumstances may apply to approximately 330 services. Some of these services may not be installed or repaired within Optus's standard time frames. The number of possibly affected services may increase or decrease as Optus assesses the full effect of the extreme weather conditions. Based on current information, the resumption date of Optus's normal service operations is expected to be 11 January 2015. This date is indicative only, however, and may be subject to change once the full impact of the extreme weather conditions has been assessed. 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 not limited to, the area starting at Cooyar heading southeast towards Toogoolawah, southwest past Grantham to Pilton and then southeast to Aratula. From Aratula the area turns south to the QLD/NSW border and following the border westerly past Texas and Goondiwindi to Mungindi. The area heads northeast to Teelba, southeast to Irongate, northeast past Biddeston to Kingsthorpe, and then north back to Cooyar.

All suburbs and towns serviced by Optus within these boundaries are encompassed in this exemption. Services in the area mentioned above with phone numbers in the following number ranges may have been affected:

0745282000 to 0745282999	0745944000 to 0745963999
0745408000 to 0745408999	0746120000 to 0746399999
0745648000 to 0745649999	0746509000 to 0746999999
0745719000 to 0745719999

As these circumstances were outside of Optus's control, Optus is claiming an exemption from compliance with time frames and performance standards required under the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011. Therefore Optus is notifying customers that normal installation and repair time frames may not be met during the period from 12 December 2014 to 11 January 2015 inclusive (based on Optus's estimated recovery schedule correct at the time of publication of this notice) and, under section 21 of the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011, Optus will be exempt from complying with performance standards during this period.

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility for a CSG payment under this notice, or wish to have us reconsider whether the circumstances were a proper basis for claiming an exemption, you can contact Optus on 13 39 37– quoting CSG exemption reference number 12122014-QLD-E-C-P-DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT_RUL

You can also view a copy of this notice on our internet site www.optus.com.au/msd.

If, after calling Optus on the above number, you remain unsatisfied with our response to your query, you have the option of raising the matter with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). Information on the TIO and contact details are available on the Internet (www.tio.com.au) and in the White Pages® telephone directory.