Telstra’s failure to update its contingency handling procedures led to it to breach the rules for handling Triple Zero emergency calls 473 times, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has ruled in handing down a $3 million fine to the “open and apologetic” telco.

Telstra has paid the fine, as confirmed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which said the fine was handed to the telco for a failure to comply with emergency call rules during a technical disruption at its Triple Zero emergency call center.

Hundreds of calls for help were transferred to the wrong number or lacked key information after Telstra neglected to update a list of backup numbers.

An investigation found the telecommunications company made 473 breaches during a disruption in March, with Telstra's Triple Zero call centre failing to properly transfer calls to emergency services.

Telstra has been fined $3 million for a Triple Zero outage earlier this year that led to 127 calls not being transferred to emergency services. The incident, on March 1, was previously attributed to a confluence of factors, including a database failure and a software bug.