Impact of telco service disruptions may be far-reaching, more can be done to minimise frequency: Experts
CNA spoke to experts on the growing risks of telco service disruptions following a series of Singtel outages last week, with Professor Anthony Tung from the Department of Computer Science weighing in on what operators can do better, and why the stakes extend well beyond dropped calls.
Prof Tung called for stronger real-time monitoring and earlier detection systems, including AI tools where appropriate.
"Operators need earlier warning signs. Better real-time monitoring and anomaly detection, including AI tools where useful, can help spot unusual behaviour before it becomes a larger disruption," he said.
On the wider impact of outages, Prof Tung was direct. Many people now rely on mobile networks as their primary means of accessing the internet – for payments, transport, work, and everyday services. A disruption, he noted, can quickly render much of daily life inaccessible, even if the broader internet remains technically functional.
"That is why an outage can quickly disrupt daily life and business activities. It is also a reminder that important services and organisations should not rely on a single access channel, but should have fallback options in place."
His broader point was structural: telcos should be treated as a core part of national resilience, not just from a cybersecurity standpoint, but operationally. As high-concentration infrastructure serving consumers, enterprises, and critical services simultaneously, the risks and consequences of failure are, by nature, highly concentrated.