Sign of things to come? Telstra’s under pressure as more people work from home while telco warns it can’t keep up with calls to the network
- Telstra is facing unprecedented demand as more Australians work from home
- Government call centres being hit with more than 20 times normal call volume
- Mobile call volumes in certain parts of country are up by more than 50 per cent
- Telecommunications giant said it was working with Optus to fast-track upgrades
Telstra is struggling under the weight of unprecedented demand as more Australians than ever are confined to working from home.
Calls to government 1800 numbers are facing particularly intense demand as thousands of Australian workers attempt to claim welfare during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mobile call volumes in certain parts of the country are up by more than 50 per cent, according to Australia’s largest telecommunications operator.
Telstra is under intense strain as Australians are forced to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic (stock image)
2008 cases have been confirmed nationally in Australia as of Tuesday, including eight deaths
Government call centres are meanwhile being inundated with more than 20 times their normal call volume.
‘As more people work from home and schools close, we are seeing demand on our network increase daily and this will continue,’ a Telstra spokesperson said.
‘Working with Optus, we are also trying to fast track upgrades to our interconnection capabilities which is contributing to this congestion and we are continuing to push for a resolution urgently with them.’
Telstra is also hiring 1,000 new employees for their call centres.
‘In these extraordinary times, it is in the national interest for every company and individual to play a part in ensuring Australia comes through as strongly as possible,’ CEO Andrew Penn said on Friday.
An additional 1000 temporary contractors will be hired to manage call volumes on the Telstra network.
Pictured: A Telstra store. Government call centres are being inundated with more than 20 times their normal call volumes
The mobile network is also suspending late fees until the end of April, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s closure of cafes, restaurants and bars immediately left tens of thousands of Australians out of work.
Experts predict two million people could be laid off in coming weeks.
The telco giant on Friday said it is also bringing forward $500 million capital expenditure to increase network capacity during the pandemic, and help accelerate the rollout of its 5G network.
Chief executive Andy Penn said while the virus would likely have an impact on the company’s balance sheet going forward, it was important for big business to ‘show leadership and contribute to the national response’.