I’m curious whether this is an RRC/IMS stack issue on Samsung’s implementation or something carrier-side in Australia’s 000 routing setup.
Emergency call handling tends to expose edge cases that normal calls never hit. Would be interesting to know if this affects only certain models or firmware branches.
I don't know how it is with VoLTE and other recent things (it may be the same; it may be different), but at one time in cellular world: Emergency calls differed from other calls in that they Must Always Work.
An emergency call can connect using any tower that is compatible with the caller's hardware -- with or without service provisioned, and with or without any sort of SIM.
Need help, and find a dusty phone somewhere? Turn it on, call emergency services using 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 [*], and if there's any cell service within range that it is physically capable of chatting with then the call will go through.
It will kick other users off if that's necessary in order to allow the emergency call to happen.
There's nothing to bill, so there's no billing systems (or even billing logic) to get in the way either.
In my country, at least on my Samsung Galaxy mobile device, they are sending Flash Messages for ads, even though I requested to be removed from their lists (and they complied... with calls and SMS).
I already see them making use of this for ads until a big group of people complain.
Namely the fact that emergency calls can be routed through other networks that aren’t your own (in fact, you can place an emergency call without a SIM).
What is "forces it through" in the technical sense? Will the handset boost the sending? Will the base antenna boost its listening capabilities (sensitivity)?
Upthread someone else says the base station will drop other users if it needs capacity for an emergency call. That sounds like an exploit for griefers...
on a side related issue , there was much criticism of the 3g shutdown in Australia.
including lack of preparation -
google words - criticism of 3g shutdown in Australia
Nobody should have a Samsung phone now or in the future due to the mandatory, total, and permanent Samsung boycott over putting ads on their damned refrigerators.
I’m curious whether this is an RRC/IMS stack issue on Samsung’s implementation or something carrier-side in Australia’s 000 routing setup.
Emergency call handling tends to expose edge cases that normal calls never hit. Would be interesting to know if this affects only certain models or firmware branches.
> Emergency call handling tends to expose edge cases that normal calls never hit.
Indeed. It now has been revealed even telcos were not doing real world tests https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-08/surprise-drill-for-te... and new laws were passed this month that they must make it possible for an independent university to do testing https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2025-10/acma-strengthens-in...
What's the difference with emergency calls? (I know nothing of this.)
I don't know how it is with VoLTE and other recent things (it may be the same; it may be different), but at one time in cellular world: Emergency calls differed from other calls in that they Must Always Work.
An emergency call can connect using any tower that is compatible with the caller's hardware -- with or without service provisioned, and with or without any sort of SIM.
Need help, and find a dusty phone somewhere? Turn it on, call emergency services using 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 [*], and if there's any cell service within range that it is physically capable of chatting with then the call will go through.
It will kick other users off if that's necessary in order to allow the emergency call to happen.
There's nothing to bill, so there's no billing systems (or even billing logic) to get in the way either.
It's intended to always work.
*: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWc3WY3fuZU
I'm scared of this.
In my country, at least on my Samsung Galaxy mobile device, they are sending Flash Messages for ads, even though I requested to be removed from their lists (and they complied... with calls and SMS).
I already see them making use of this for ads until a big group of people complain.
I'm tired, boss.
Huh?
What does receiving "Flash Messages for ads" have to do with placing emergency calls to 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3?
Namely the fact that emergency calls can be routed through other networks that aren’t your own (in fact, you can place an emergency call without a SIM).
You can also make emergency calls when you don’t have enough signal for regular calls.
It forces it through
What is "forces it through" in the technical sense? Will the handset boost the sending? Will the base antenna boost its listening capabilities (sensitivity)?
Upthread someone else says the base station will drop other users if it needs capacity for an emergency call. That sounds like an exploit for griefers...
on a side related issue , there was much criticism of the 3g shutdown in Australia. including lack of preparation - google words - criticism of 3g shutdown in Australia
Dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45981608
Some more discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45981608
Nobody should have a Samsung phone now or in the future due to the mandatory, total, and permanent Samsung boycott over putting ads on their damned refrigerators.