3G devices as well as older 4G-compatible handsets could lose access to the emergency services, with the Government urging action from consumers to help complete the process
Optus and Telstra will conduct a joint public awareness campaign on their delayed 3G network switch-offs
In Australia, mobile operators Optus and Telstra have announced that they have pushed back the shutdown of their respective 3G networks. The switch-offs, which were first communicated in 2019, were originally scheduled to occur by the end of August 2024 – several months after rival Vodafone retired its 3G network at the beginning of the year. However, they have now been delayed until 28 October, giving consumers with 3G-reliant devices an additional two months to be ready to migrate to 4G and 5G networks. The operators will use the extension as a final opportunity to together raise public awareness of the upcoming switch-offs. Such initiatives have been used by operators in other countries, with Sweden’s trade organisation TechSverige partnering with the country’s operators (Tele2, Telenor, Telia and Tre) to launch a ‘Bytnät.nu’ (“switch network now”) campaign to advise the public and affected industries on how best to navigate the transition.
Stakeholders have voiced concerns about the impact on telecare devices and on rural coverage
Despite the operators’ planned action, some stakeholders have expressed concerns about the potential impacts of switching off 3G services. The National Rural Health Alliance, has warned that there may be hundreds of thousands of individuals with medical devices (e.g. pacemakers, fall alarms) operating on 3G that could be affected when the network is shut down. The Alliance has welcomed the short delay, considering it allows more time for preparation and support for remote communities, while ensuring their health and wellbeing are not compromised. Though Optus and Telstra’s decision was ultimately a commercial one, the association considers the delay reflects submissions it has made to the recent Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee inquiry into the 3G switch-off. Other consumers and businesses in rural areas, including those in the agricultural sector, have also raised concerns about the prospect of a deterioration in mobile connectivity post-shutdown. Such anxieties are not being shared for the first time, with an inquiry into regional mobile infrastructure by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stating that rural consumers felt as if they were being left behind. The 2023 inquiry highlighted their concerns about the impact of the 3G switch-off and whether there will be equivalent 4G or 5G coverage available.
Ensuring the continued access to the emergency services remains an acute challenge for industry and the Government
A particularly pressing matter relates to the continued access for all citizens to the emergency services, which can be reached by dialling ‘000’ in Australia. These rely solely on 3G, with 2G networks having already been shut down. The National Rural Health Alliance has stated that many people in rural, regional and remote locations risk losing access to ‘Triple Zero’ due to the use of older mobile phones that only work on 3G networks. However, in March 2024, Michelle Rowland (Minister for Communications) also acknowledged that there could be up to 740,000 older 4G-compatible phones, devices purchased overseas and brought into Australia, or handsets purchased via the ‘grey market’ that may not be appropriately configured – i.e. to support VoLTE – that they can make emergency calls following the switchover. A month later this figure increased to around 1m devices, although later reduced to 283,000 following a revised estimate by the Government’s new cross-sector Working Group. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that several devices that may be popular with retirees or those on lower incomes, including older Apple iPhones and iPads, could be unable to reach the emergency services in the future. The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) has now developed a tool that allows consumers to check if their handset will lose access to Triple Zero, building on an earlier SMS-based service from Telstra. Meanwhile, the Government states that it remains concerned about the subset of healthcare and mobile devices that may be impacted by the 3G switch-off and is committed to completing the process in a safe way. It continues to urge consumers to be informed about what the shutdown might mean for them and to take action and check if their device could be impacted.
