Singtel

Singtel's Landline Lament: How a Phone Outage Had Us SMS-ing for Help!

A Singtel landline outage left many in Singapore scrambling for alternative ways to reach emergency services. Find out how to stay connected!

On October 8th, 2023, a widespread service outage hit Singtel's landline systems, affecting thousands of users across Singapore. What started as a norm for many turned into chaos, as emergency numbers such as 995 and 999 were disrupted. This left citizens frantically searching for alternate means to connect with essential services. Hospitals, including KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and Changi General Hospital (CGH), also reported functionality hiccups in their public hotlines, adding to the distress of those trying to access critical healthcare services.

During this brief yet disruptive incident, individuals were advised to resort to SMS alternatives for connecting with emergency responders. If you couldn't get through to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) or the Singapore Police Force (SPF) by calling, there was the not-so-convenient option of sending a text message to 70995 or 70999. Talk about modern-day inconveniences! With cell phones glued to our hands, who would have thought we'd need to revert back to texting for emergencies?

Interestingly, amidst the service frustrations, Singtel's shares actually managed to close higher, rising by 1 cent to $3.18, despite the outage woes. Investors seemed unfazed, but for Singaporeans relying on the service for their day-to-day communications, the disruption was certainly a painful moment. Social media erupted with witty quips, with many sharing their affection for SMS as if it were a long-lost friend who just came to save the day.

To top it off, outages like this aren't just a technological hiccup; they also serve as critical reminders about how much we rely on our landlines and mobile services for both everyday and emergency communications. In 2020, a survey indicated that over 90% of Singapore residents had access to a smartphone, showing just how deep our reliance on connectivity runs. In an increasingly digital world, we may occasionally still need good old-fashioned SMS to get the job done! So, have your phones ready – and perhaps consider saving those SMS numbers just in case!