An internet outage that hit Aussie Broadband customers in Victoria, in the middle of the state’s public holiday before the AFL grand final, has now been fixed, according to the telco. Outage reports on Downdetector spiked at approximately 8:00 AM this morning, indicating that thousands were without service. Aussie Broadband posted to social media acknowledging the outage and confirmed that some Tasmanian users were also impacted. More than 150 locations were affected, according to the telco’s outage page. Aussie Broadband’s budget internet brand, Buddy Telco, also listed various unscheduled outages on its website. Only NBN and Opticomm customers were affected; its mobile products use the Optus network, which remained active. GadgetGuy understands that today’s outage was related to Aussie Broadband’s CGNAT infrastructure, a technology used to assign IP addresses. Victoria and Tasmania’s infrastructure is connected, hence the impact on both states. ## The Impact of the Outage The outage caused significant disruption to many Victorians and Tasmanians who rely on Aussie Broadband for their internet connectivity. The timing of the outage, which occurred on a public holiday, exacerbated the inconvenience for many users, as they were unable to access online services, stream entertainment, or work remotely. ### Social Media Reactions The outage sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many frustrated customers taking to platforms like Twitter and Reddit to express their grievances. Some users reported being unable to access essential services like online banking and healthcare portals, while others lamented the disruption to their entertainment and leisure activities. ## Aussie Broadband's Response Aussie Broadband acknowledged the outage promptly on its social media channels and issued updates throughout the day, providing information about the cause, the affected areas, and the progress made towards restoring service. The telco's response was generally well-received by customers, who appreciated the transparency and communication efforts. ### Apologies and Compensation Aussie Broadband issued an apology to customers for the inconvenience caused by the outage and stated that they were reviewing their processes to prevent similar incidents in the future. The telco also addressed the topic of compensation, explaining that it typically reserves compensation for disruptions lasting “at least two days”. ## Conclusion: A Complex Outage While the outage was eventually resolved, it highlighted the potential for disruption to essential services like internet connectivity. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of reliable internet access in today's digital world, and the need for telecommunication providers to implement robust systems and processes to minimize the impact of such outages. The complexity of the outage, the impact on users, and the telco’s response provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of managing internet infrastructure in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. ## The Future of Internet Reliability The Aussie Broadband outage serves as a stark reminder of the importance of reliable internet access in today's digital world. The incident highlights the need for telecommunications providers to invest in robust infrastructure and to develop contingency plans to mitigate the impact of outages. As we become increasingly reliant on the internet for work, education, healthcare, and entertainment, ensuring uninterrupted access to the internet is crucial. The future of internet reliability will require a concerted effort from both telecommunications providers and government regulators to ensure that all Australians have access to fast, reliable, and affordable internet service. This will involve investing in infrastructure, promoting competition, and fostering innovation in the telecommunications sector. The Aussie Broadband outage underscores the urgency of these efforts, and the need to prioritize internet reliability as a key pillar of a modern, digitally connected society.