Optus is under intense scrutiny following a recent service outage that raised questions about the company's operational integrity. CEO Stephen Rue expressed his commitment to uncovering the facts and implementing necessary changes to prevent future incidents. An independent investigation led by Kerry Schott AO, appointed by Optus chair John Arthur, aims to address the issues surrounding the outage.

The incident has reignited concerns about the ownership and control of Optus, Australia's second-largest telecommunications provider. The company is significantly influenced by the Singaporean government through Temasek Holdings, which is fully owned by the government. Temasek holds a majority stake in Singtel, which in turn owns Optus.

Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon issued an apology to Optus customers more than six days after the outage occurred. He stated that Singtel is committed to transforming Optus to enhance its processes and service reliability. "The Singtel Group has supported Optus by investing over $9.3 billion in the past five years," he said, emphasizing the focus on building network infrastructure across Australia.

Temasek Holdings, established in 1974, operates as a sovereign wealth fund managing investments on behalf of the Singapore government. Its leadership includes CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara and incoming chairman Teo Chee Hean, a former deputy prime minister. The firm has a dual purpose: to generate profits and to safeguard its past reserves.

Concerns have been raised about whether Optus is receiving adequate attention from its Singaporean parent company. Flinders University associate professor Michael Barr noted that government-linked companies often under-invest, which could impact Optus's ability to maintain its mobile network.

In response to the outage, Rue assured that recommendations from the investigation would be implemented. He faced questions about the reliability of Optus's emergency services, particularly after the triple-0 outage. Rue stated, "This is about making sure that we have recommendations that will be followed and to continue on with the other work that I have been doing."

Treasurer Jim Chalmers also commented on the situation, calling the failures associated with the triple-0 service "devastating" and "disgraceful." He pledged to investigate the issues thoroughly, stating, "This can never happen again."

The Optus board is scheduled to meet on September 29 to discuss the incident, with CEO Rue and other key executives in attendance. As the investigation unfolds, many Australians are left questioning the reliability of Optus's services, especially in critical situations.