The New Optus Network Status Page

[Optus]

We’ve refreshed the look, feel and functionality of our Network Status page. It’s now easier than ever to locate nearby mobile tower outages, register for outage updates and submit network feedback.

Check out some of the exciting new changes below: 

 Network status page overview (satellite view)

Check if there’s an issue with a nearby mobile tower

• Predictive address search and GPS integration makes it’s easy to find out if there’s an issue with a mobile tower near you. Tap the GPS icon next to the address search bar and your current location is displayed on our Outage Map

• Switch to Satellite View to check for obstructions which may impact the quality of your mobile signal. Obstructions may include buildings or trees

• To get an even better idea of signal quality, you can pick up and move the pin to a section of your home or property

                      
    Keeping you posted

• If we've received a report of an issue in your area, we’ll keep you posted
  
  
•  Choose to stay updated via SMS or email

Submit network feedback

• If we haven’t received a report of an issue in your area, we’ll give you the option to submit network feedback
  
  
•  Select the type of issue, how often it occurs and provide any additional information you think we might need. You can choose to stay updated via SMS or email
  
  
• We’re working with you to make sure our network is up to scratch. By using customer feedback, we can respond and act closer to real time
  
  

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Let us know what you think about the new changes in the comment section below 🙂

[Logged-Off]

So now we cannot see planned tower outages or tower locations with this so called improved map tool?

[Tigers1719]

Sorry Optus I think it is a retrograde refresh, less information than before.

[petergdownload]

Predictive address search and GPS integration makes it’s easy

You already had predictive address search. A GPS button is nice

"Switch to Satellite View to check for obstructions"

This is starting to sound a little desperate. 

"To get an even better idea of signal quality, you can pick up and move the pin to a section of your home or property"

Can see this being helpful on a 50,000 acre outback ranch, but are Optus seriously suggesting that they have reception info about my back porch and front porch on my 30x10m block?

"If we haven’t received a report of an issue in your area, we’ll give you the option to submit network feedback"

This is possibly the most powerful new feature but it was always there before. The problem is its always been a black hole. You submit your info and then nothing. So much could be down with crowd sourcing info. 

[GuyCS]

@Logged-Off We have removed site locations as there are many factors that will determine if a user is impacted by an outage, customers are not always serving off the closest tower to them.

We are providing more context by advising when a serving or nearby site outage will impact service experience, rather than expecting a user to know which site will primarily impact their service.

​If user location will be impacted by upcoming work ​then they will receive a specific message on searching their address.

@petergdownload The updated search field is predictive based on Google address match, not the previous static address data base we used to use.

Our coverage maps are continuously being updated to higher resolutions, this means that moving the pin can identify expected coverage zones within even the smallest of blocks of land.

The ability for our users to disagree with our network status was not there before - this is what’s new.

Previously, you could opt in for SMS updates for an existing and known fault, however, you could only tell us something is wrong by calling our call centres. When a fault is not known/identified yet, this feedback can now be submitted by users directly via the status page.

[petergdownload]

@GuyCS 

Ultimately it all sounds like steps in the right direction. The issue is how well it works in practice. 

I don't for a minute imagine Optus knows what the reception in my back yard is like compared to my front yard, but I can easily see a simple mathematical algorithm plotting anticipated reception down to the nearest cm. In theory it looks more accurate in practice its the same data as before.

Similarly registering for SMS updates on an issue or the ability to submit live reports of outages could be a very powerful tool. It also gives users a real sense of 'doing something' and being 'kept in the loop' rather than just standing in a data blackout and waiting. The test will be if Optus follow through with the information and requests instead of say the spam reporting where customers endlessly submit reports and the same spam just keeps arriving.

Its good to see Optus working to improve its interfaces though. I know how hard it is to get real change in a large organisation. 

[Logged-Off]

Still a step backwards "hiding" towers.

So how would one now go find the best direction to point their antenna (dont point me to the app for 5g as it thinks I have 5g on a tower that definitely does not have it live - and also does not apply to 3/4g - will have to use ACMA for now on)

[AndrewC1]

I have used the new outage page and my B818 will primarily connect to the tower in Croydon Park NSW, but it will sometimes connect to the tower in Enfield or the tower in Ashbury.

The new page indicates that the Croydon Park tower is faulty again, its been having issues all year. BUT is does not show the other towers like the previous map and their status.

Both Enfield and Ashbury searchs indicates that Optus are working on a tower in the area, but which one?

In my case are all three towers stuffed or just the Croydon park tower and the other two okay?

I find this a backward step for end users.

[AndrewC1]

@GuyCSAlmost a week and no response.

[Kartika]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you @AndrewC1. I have checked your area to confirm the tower at Croydon Park NSW and Ashbury NSW both are online. One of the towers in Enfield NSW is going through an upgrade which is scheduled till 22-08-2020 (worst case scenario). 

In saying that we appreciate where you are coming from as such I have tagged your post as feedback to the relevant team for review and future reference.

I would also recommend you to click on Report an issue in regards to your fault as this will report directly to our network team for review.

If you still need further assistance then please contact our Technical Support team either via the → messaging service or by calling them on 131344 - Mon - Fri: 8am - 8pm Sat: 9am - 5pm AEST.

[petergdownload]

@AndrewC1 ,

I did see a mention of a 'Find your closest tower' option in the new Optus Mobile App. Might be useful?

[AndrewC1]

@petergdownloadI do not trust the myapp to work correctly. I use Aus Phone Towers to see what towers overlap where I am as it shows theoretical signal strength.

[AndrewC1]

@KartikaYour response is exactly what my email was all about. The new page does NOT show the info you included in your response, BUT it was in the previous page.

Reporting an issue does NOT help as Optus support staff not get back to you about when it will be fixed or even give updates on the status of the issue or let you know when the issue is resolved. Getting updates was painfull in that the myapp support staff wanted to go over the issue again instead of looking up or finding out what the status was.

Last time took Optus three weeks to admit that the tower had a faulty B40 and this was by accident by the support person saying that other people had raised similar faults for the tower. I could NOT get an ETA or any info on when it may be fixed or how to work around it as the support staff did not knwo that the modems allows technical users to lock in and out certain bands. I spent over 40+ hours on support plus a 8+ hours on the complaint process as support was going no where. The tower was fixed about 2.5 months after the tower fist became faulty. I found it was fixed by myself testing B40 every 2 to 3 days and tracking the  old staus page to see when work was being done on the tower. The B40 was fixed when work was completed on the tower.  Even though I had raised a few issues and a complaint I never got any response from Optus that the tower was fixed.  This seems to be the normal support process that Optus follow.

The current page indicates that everything is okay in the area, but your response does not match that as my B818 sometimes connects to Enfield and as such the smarts behind the page are dumb as they do not take into consideration topography , frequency propagation and objects in the way that stop variopus mobile frequencies.

[troyd]

Does it allow us to report faults with your service staff? Because I'm happy to start submitting some!

[ozzcaddy]

Talk about going back to the dark ages of 1980-90's with the new network status maps. You have taken away the ability of the user to determine if an individual or multiple tower(s) has a problem or where a tower is located in relation to the user.

Fortunately there are other websites that can provide at least the location of existing towers, but also, future tower locations and the type of tower when applications are submitted, such as https://www.rfnsa.com.au/?first=1%C2%A0 .

At least the coverage map has not changed, not sure when it was last updated as no dates are provided of its currency.

[mussy22]

This is really a step backwards, it was actually good knowing exact dates both prior and during outages on your local tower. Now Optus is hiding the towers you are just giving a generic message. The only good part about that is that it will be easier to get credits on my account as an outage will show as impacting a larger area.

Up until yesterday I could still see actual towers and outage information on the coverage maps, have they now removed that too ? 

[ozzcaddy]

Since my post on 23/8/20 about the towers not showing.  Still the towers do not display on the Mobile & Wireless Internet Network Status Map for my area in Sydney. 

Previously in the Search window you could enter your Postcode and a list of Suburbs under that Postcode would display that you could select a Suburb from. That has also changed, that if you only put in your Postcode, it will retrieve addresses of properties having that same postcode number. In other words, you either put in your Suburb or your address. Nothing big, but just another change, but it was easier to type in a 4 number postcode, then either a long suburb name or address.

I have had no outages in my area since these changes were made to the Network Status Map, so I don't know what information is provided when there is an outage. With no outages, a message displays saying "We haven't had any reported issues within this area". It does provide an option to Report an Issue.

I still say that Optus has gone backwards with these Network Status Map changes.

[AndrewC1]

Looks like Optus are NOT going to do anything.

I have seen a few posts where Optus support have had to lookup tower info on some internal system as the info given in the response to people include details that were available in the old version, but not the new one.

As such Optus shot them selfs in the foot.

[Fred_Stanwell]

Really miss not be able to see the tower icons with relevant colours according to their status and the information that might relate to current outages and planned future outages.

Being notified of planned outages would be a huge plus. Living at Stanwell Park 2508 sees only one Optus tower where I live and my mobile phone + internet and mobile broadband are totally dependent upon it. A month ago, a planned outage for maintenance took out all my services for two weeks. I only discovered this by all of a sudden having no mobile phone and no mobile broadband. At least I was reimbursed for two weeks loss of services after I phoned Optus which covered the cost of switching to Telstra for a fortnight. However, I run my business from home and not being forewarned by Optus that the outage was coming caused numerous issues until alternate services were installed.

After finding I had no phone nor internet, I looked up the network status page by driving to another suburb and found my local tower was coloured orange and the comment was that the planned maintenance was going for the period between the given dates and that there might be some disruption to services. Hmmm... "some disruption" actually meant no services. 

No telecommunications company can be perfect but advising customers of planned outages is vital, especially when just one tower affects an entire community of Optus customers. An email or sms without having to request one would be great. 

Now that the coloured tower icons have gone from the status page, it is far more difficult to find out what is actually happening to what particular tower. 

[mussy22]

Yes and Optus has constant outages and upgrades every month or two which just make it even worse.

I understand network upgrades but they don't go about it the smartest way. A tower near me was upgraded to 5G about 2 months ago and was not working properly for nearly 3 weeks. Now 2 weeks ago Optus/vendors are now upgrading it to 5G 2300Mhz. That should have been done with the last upgrade.  So I'm in the middle of yet another upgrade that is up to the 2nd week

They have an upgrade planned for another tower near me soon, and that will continue over the next 6 months.

Oh and another tower near where I work, was upgraded to 5G about 3 months ago and has been faulty every since. 

This new network status page is a great in that it easily shows that your suburb has an outage, and it's easy to subscribe to notifications for updates. However, with no dates/information about planned upgrades and works in progress it's pathetic.

Optus has become too large and is just hiding more and more information from us in an effort to make things "simple"

Telstra do their upgrades much faster and smarter. 

[ozzcaddy]

@Fred_Stanwell, Your down in  great place of NSW.  I used to hike and camp in surrounding areas when in scouting. Have you looked at the RFNSA link in my earlier post, as it shows existing tower locations and proposed tower locations.

I looked up Stanwell Park, and your nearest Optus tower is in Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Stanwell Tops, which has Telstra and Vodaphone there as well. There are 3 Proposed towers for Stanwell Park (no ISP names given at this stage), for these locations:
Rail Corridor near Railway Crescent, STANWELL PARK NSW 2508 (2 proposals)
Rail Corridor near Wodi-Wodi Track, STANWELL PARK NSW 2508

Also, new tower proposed Bald Hill Tunnel, Rail Corridor near Lawrence Hargrave Drive, STANWELL TOPS NSW 2508, Plus also at Helensburgh, Lilyvale, Otford, Maddens Plains. 

Check out the link for the RFNSA website, and you will be able to keep a check on the progress and who the proposed towers belong to in your area as their status changes.

[Kartika]

Hi @mussy22, we appreciate where you are coming from and your feedback. Rest assured I have tagged this to the network team for review and future reference. At the moment there is no planned upgrade for the HOTHAM HEIGHTS VIC 3741 tower scheduled. So there is no dates. 

Also the network status page only shows upgrade / planned work once the work has commenced. If you want to check if there is any upcoming upgrade planned then that would be our → coverage map. 

[mussy22]

@Kartika 2 things

1. Hotham Heights 3741 - This NEW tower https://www.rfnsa.com.au/3741004 Has been planned since 2016 in - fact. So still not going ahead years later ?  

2. Also the network status page only shows upgrade / planned work once the work has commenced. If you want to check if there is any upcoming upgrade planned then that would be our → coverage map. 

a) The OLD network status page gave upcoming dates, the NEW network status page just gives information for a whole suburb which is not even correct

b) How can I check for upcoming works on the COVERAGE MAP ? 

[Nard_YC]

Hey there @mussy22, 

We appreciate all the points and feedback you've made around our new Network Status Map. Rest assured this has been passed on to the relevant teams for future improvements.

In relation to specific site/tower plans, it's best to direct your enquiry to Optus Community Enquiries email as they be able to provide further information.

Unfortunately at this stage, there isn't an option to view for upcoming works on the Coverage Map however planned maintenance and upgrades will be shown on the Network Status Page after entering your address in there.

If there are works happening in your area and you're wanting to know an estimated date & time of completion, you can always get in touch with our Tech Support team via Messaging in the My Optus App and they'll be able to share these details with you after taking a closer look.

[petergdownload]

"for future improvements"

Sounds more like undoing the current improvements to get back to where Optus once was.

[ByronSun]

This new, diminished support feature doesn’t enable notices regarding work in progress, despite me being logged in and your blog showing progress notices should be available.

It gives no information about when problems are likely to be fixed. I have suffered terrible speed from your network for days, which becomes unusable at night and slow during the day. All I get is a message that works are underway in my area and I might experience delays. Got the last bit right.

There is no point boastfully talking about customer service when it’s so lacking. There is nothing improved regarding your network status map, as other users have also commented.

[Vin_YC]

Hi @BenChambers, it's not good to hear of your Internet service issues and seeking assistance with them.

Please reach out to us by a private message to the official Optus Facebook page or Twitter page where we'll be able to grab your details securely and take a closer look for you.

Alternatively, you can reach us on a smart device via our Messaging service on the My Optus app 24/7.

[ozzcaddy]

I am raising another issue with the current Optus Network Status Map. The page displays two different areas of problems Mobile & Home Wireless or NBN, Cable, ADSL, for you to report any issues.

I have Optus Home Wireless 4GLTE, but my mobile is with a different carrier. I clicked on the Mobile & Home Wireless section to report that my Home Wireless Speed is downloading at 50% (5Mbps) of my Home Wireless plan of 12/1Mbps. Upload speeds are normal. And that is connecting to 2 different Cell_ID's.

After clicking on Report an Issue, it asks for the affected mobile number only, nothing available to add for the Home Wireless. I don't have a problem with my mobile it is with the Home Wireless, but Optus prevents you from reporting this via this reporting function. Unless you add the affected mobile number, you cannot proceed any further

Since Optus changed what the Network Status Map used to provide with cell locations, they have also taken away the option to report Home Wireless only problems.

Yes, I could ring up, go on Facebook or Live Messaging, but why should I when supposedly there is a function with the Network Status Map to do so, under Mobile & Home Wireless.  Optus must believe that if you have one product with Optus, you must have all your products with Optus.

BTW, I have remained on the 12/1 plan awaiting for the 5G network to come live in my area. I know the tower is their, Compliance Certificate has been issued and favorable Environmental EME Report was completed in early November '20. So it should not be long before 5G network will be activated.

[Tina_YC]

Hey @ozzcaddy, thanks for getting in touch with us and bringing this to our attention. 

Hm, are you able to type in your Home Wireless Broadband service number instead? I will pass on your feedback to the relevant teams so we can improve our customer service experience.

In regards to 5G, are you interested in getting connected to 5G mobile or 5G Home Wireless Broadband? 

[ozzcaddy]

Hi @Tina_YC , thanks for your reply and referring the feedback to the relevant teams.

When you say Home Wireless Broadband service number instead?

What number is this? I tried my Account Number, the Modems IMEI: Number, but as they have more than 10 numerals, the field turns red, indicating an error.

As I mentioned in my post, I will connect to the 5g Home Wireless once it becomes available in my area. I have already registered my interest with Optus for the 5G Home Wireless.

[petergdownload]

@ozzcaddy

It may be some time before 5G Home Wireless appears. Many towers are just expanding the mobile service ATM. But it could also be next week. You never know. You may also have 5G home from other RSPs if you check around.

[Tina_YC]

Your Home Wireless Broadband service number starts with 04 (It looks like a mobile number). You can find this service number on your bill. 

Thanks for clearing that for us, @ozzcaddy. Since you already lodge your expression of interest,  we will notify you when it's available at your address.

[ozzcaddy]

Thanks @Tina_YC, that number works - nice to know, but does not appear to be common knowledge. That number is within the  Service Charges box on the invoice.

I did not go any further in reporting the slow speed, as the speed is back to normal. The modem is now connected to a third Cell_ID since 6.30am this morning. I understand congestion at a tower can cause slow speeds, and the network may switch the modem to another tower that may be less congested and normal speeds return.

The relevant teams might consider revising the field that currently ask for the affected mobile number, to say: Affected Mobile Number or Service Charge Number.

[Tina_YC]

That's a great idea, @ozzcaddy 🙂 I will tag this post as feedback for the relevant teams to review. I'm glad you service is now back up and running to normal. 

If you have any other enquires, let us know!