"A Sydney resident died after their Samsung handset failed to connect to 000, Australia's primary emergency number, triggering a stark warning from telco TPG that outdated mobile software could be a matter of life or death. In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on Tuesday, TPG Telecom confirmed that a customer using a Lebara-branded service on its network died last week after they were unable to place emergency calls."
"Samsung, which TPG says recently identified the issue in "certain older devices," didn't respond to The Register's request for comment. However, the company's website lists dozens of devices that need to be updated or replaced to ensure users can make Triple Zero calls. According to the carrier, the affected handset had not been updated despite multiple warnings. TPG says it contacted users of flagged Samsung models - which include Galaxy S7 and Note 5 series handsets - and urged them to update."
"Under the federal Emergency Service Call Determination, all operators must block handsets that can't complete Triple Zero calls if they remain unpatched for 28-35 days after the first warning - a rule TPG says it followed. "Customer safety remains our highest priority," said CEO Iñaki Berroeta. "This is a tragic incident... We urge all customers with outdated software to replace or update their devices without delay.""
A Sydney resident died after their Samsung handset failed to connect to 000, Australia's emergency number. TPG Telecom confirmed the customer used a Lebara-branded service on its network and said the network was fully operational at the time. Early investigations indicate the user's Samsung device ran software no longer compatible with emergency calling. Samsung identified the issue in "certain older devices," and its website lists many models needing updates or replacement. TPG notified users of flagged models, including Galaxy S7 and Note 5 series, and says it followed mandatory blocking rules for unpatched handsets under the Emergency Service Call Determination.
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