General News
2 January, 2026
Telstra mobile outage hits Stawell region
THOUSANDS of Telstra customers in and around Stawell experienced significant 4G mobile network disruptions last weekend, with service interruptions lasting more than a day before being restored early Tuesday morning. The outage began about 6.36pm on Sunday, December 28, and affected 2,788 services across the region, according to Telstra’s official network status page. Service was reported as fully restored by 1.07am on Tuesday, December 30. Telstra has since confirmed the disruption was caused by power interruptions linked to high temperatures, which affected network equipment at the site.
“I’ve been told there were power interruptions caused by high temperatures,” a Telstra spokesperson said. “We had an air conditioning technician attend the site and fix the issue, which allowed us to restore services.”
During the outage, locals reported intermittent or non-existent mobile coverage, with many unable to make voice calls, send texts or access mobile data. Some residents said they relied on Wi-Fi calling and fixed broadband services to stay connected — temporary workarounds commonly recommended by telcos during network disruptions.
Several community members also noted that mobile reception in the area has previously deteriorated during periods of extreme heat, raising questions about how well local infrastructure copes with prolonged high temperatures.
The disruption was particularly disruptive for regional users and small businesses, where mobile connectivity plays an increasingly critical role in daily operations, from EFTPOS transactions and banking apps to emergency communication and remote work.
While outage tracking services such as Downdetector showed no ongoing problems for the Stawell postcode at the time of writing, such platforms rely on user reports and may not always reflect the full scale of an outage, particularly in regional areas.
Telstra outages, especially involving mobile data services, are relatively uncommon but not without precedent. In recent years, major telco disruptions — including a high-profile Optus outage that affected emergency call routing — have prompted renewed scrutiny of network resilience and infrastructure safeguards, particularly during extreme weather events.
For now, Telstra customers across Stawell and surrounding communities have seen services return to normal. However, the incident has renewed local attention on how rising temperatures and increased demand may be placing additional strain on regional telecommunications infrastructure.
Customers experiencing any ongoing connectivity issues are encouraged to check their device settings, restart their phones, or use the My Telstra app or website to confirm network status and personalised service information.
What to do during a mobile outage:
• Check the outage status via the Telstra website or app to confirm whether the issue is network-related.
• Restart your phone and ensure it has the latest software updates installed.
• Use Wi-Fi calling if available, or connect to a home or public Wi-Fi network where possible.
• Limit non-essential use to help preserve battery life if access is patchy.
• Have a backup plan for emergencies, such as a landline, neighbour, or nearby public phone.
• Check in on others, particularly older residents or those who rely on mobile services for health or safety needs.
Read More: Stawell