'LOL that was meant for my wife': Telstra meltdown causes MILLIONS of text messages to be sent to strangers - after national network outage caused chaos across Australia

  • A fire broke out at a Telstra exchange on Thursday causing a nation-wide outage
  • The Chatswood fire was responsible for SMS messages being corrupted
  • Many Telstra users received text messages from strangers 
  • A man took to Twitter to ask about the problem to be told it wasn't 'nation wide' 
  • The debacle disrupted Jetstar flights, Sydney trains and mobile phone users

By CAMERON PHELPS and STEPHEN JOHNSON, ECONOMICS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: | Updated:

Millions of Telstra customers were left fuming after a fire at one of the company's exchanges triggered a nation-wide outage and caused millions of text messages to be sent to the wrong people. 

And customers frustration turned to anger when in the middle of the outage on Thursday after, one of the company's spokespeople wasn't even aware of the massive outage

 After tweeting the company, a consultant responded: 'I doubt it's nation wide. Though there is a 4G interruption listed on servicestatus.telstra.com for Sydney'.

This woman at a New South Wales Central Coast marketing company had no phone access

This woman at a New South Wales Central Coast marketing company had no phone access

The man then reposted a number of tweets from other Telstra users across the country who also complained of not being able to use their phones.

He also tweeted his disdain as to how the company had spoken to him.

'They talk down to you without having any clue as to what's going on,' he wrote.

Many Telstra customers were left bemused after receiving random text messages from strangers. 

Several took to social media to share some amusing text messages that weren't intended for them.

 'We have no more peanut M&Ms,' one wrong message said.

The woman who received it felt sorry for the person who missed the text.

'Someone at home is going to be disappointed,' she said on Twitter.

Anna Riddell tweeted she had received a message about a dessert from an unknown number.

'I'm seriously craving trifle. Can I have your Christmas recipe?,' the wrong message said. 

ABC reporter Jake Sturmer tweeted he didn't get any unintended naked selfies after receiving a message intended for 'Darren' about an arrival.

'No naked selfies received from the Telstra SMS mix-up,' he said.

Telstra CEO Andy Penn apologised for the disruption the fire had caused during a media conference and said that it was 'very disappointing'

Telstra CEO Andy Penn apologised for the disruption the fire had caused during a media conference and said that it was 'very disappointing'

Telstra has been blame for the lack of peanut M&Ms in one wrong text message 

Telstra has been blame for the lack of peanut M&Ms in one wrong text message 

Telstra CEO Andy Penn apologised for the disruption the fire at the Chatswood exchange, on Sydney's North Shore had caused during a media conference and said that it was 'very disappointing'. 

 'I've never known that to happen before,' he said.

'Some SMS messages were corrupted, which resulted in potentially some of those going to the incorrect address.'

'It's very disappointing for our customers, I just want to just acknowledge the impact that would have had on a number of our customers and apologise for that,' 

 The Telstra debacle disrupted Jetstar flights, Sydney trains and inconvenienced mobile phone users in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. 

Telstra's service returned to normal at 5.40pm on Thursday.  

Someone's craving for a Christmas trifle may have to wait a little longer because of Telstra

Someone's craving for a Christmas trifle may have to wait a little longer because of Telstra

ABC reporter Jake Sturmer saw the funny side of receiving a wrong text message

ABC reporter Jake Sturmer saw the funny side of receiving a wrong text message

The Telstra outage caused delays at airports right across Australia, with Jetstar delaying flights

The Telstra outage caused delays at airports right across Australia, with Jetstar delaying flights

A fire at Telstra's Chatswood exchange, on Sydney's North Shore, caused so much chaos (stock image)

A fire at Telstra's Chatswood exchange, on Sydney's North Shore, caused so much chaos (stock image)

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

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