Australia’s two largest telcos, Telstra and Optus, are getting ready to shut down their respective 3G networks later this month.
While TPG Telecom/Vodafone has already switched off its 3G network, Telstra and Optus will follow suit after pushing back their deadlines earlier this year.
Both will now power off their 3G networks on October 28.
One of the main concerns around the planned 3G closure was that not only would older 3G phones be affected, but also early 4G phones which would not be able to make emergency calls over the 4G network.
At the start of this year, 740,000 devices were affected, but recent estimates suggest that about 59,000 devices across Australia still need to be updated over the next week.
Both Telstra and Optus executed extensive public awareness campaigns urging customers who would be impacted to make the switch before the 3G network is closed.
Users who are unsure if their device will be affected can text “3” to 3498 and they will receive a message notifying them of whether their device will be impacted.
Beyond mobile phones, equipment such as some Eftpos machines, ATMs, CCTV and medical alert devices also connect via 3G.
Small and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson warned businesses to check their systems before October 28. “Many of us do not realise there is an awful lot of technology and equipment we use every day that’s enabled by 3G as the wireless comms link and that it will stop working when the system is turned off later this month unless it is upgraded,” said Billson, according to the Daily Mail.
The government has held that closing the 3G networks will in turn boost the capacity, speed and reliability of the country’s 4G and 5G networks.
Last month, the ACCC cleared the $1.6 billion Optus-TPG Network regional mobile network and spectrum sharing agreements. The deal will more than double TPG’s 4G coverage to 1,000,000 sq km, allowing it to reach 98.4 per cent of Australia’s population. The agreements will also support Optus’ regional 5G rollout, particularly through access to TPG’s spectrum.
