At 11.30am, the Region 1 Counter Disaster Committee met in Darwin purely as a precautionary measure and are not anticipating meeting again.

The advice from Telstra is that connectivity is largely restored already and progressively being fully restored throughout the afternoon.

The Territory Police assistance line 131 444 and the Anti-Social Behaviour report-in line 1800 272 111 are now restored.

Darwin triple zero wasn't effected while Alice Springs triple zero failed and an alternative number was immediately provided. Alice Springs triple zero is now operating as normal.

Acting Commander Hollamby said Police will be seeking advice from Telstra to ascertain the cause of the problem,

"We are awaiting further updates from Telstra regarding the cause, but this has been an important lesson in considering how much we rely on telecommunication services.

"Contingency plans with alternative means of contact, police radios and providing updates in person have all been utilised throughout the morning to ensure minimal disruption to Police, Fire and Emergency Services response capacity and ensuring the public are informed.

"This is also a timely reminder for the public to ensure they have battery powered radios to receive regular updates through local radio stations in the event of any communication breakdown, not just emergencies such as cyclones."



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