Telstra, Optus warn 3G shutdown could hit Australians

Some 150,000 Australians could be left without the ability to make triple-zero calls after the 3G signal is switched off this year, a leading telecommunication giant has acknowledged.

At an appearance before a Senate committee investigating the approaching shutdown, an Optus representative said between 100,000 and 150,000 of the telco’s customers could struggle to access triple-0 calls or conduct online banking when the company shuts off its 3G network in September.

“We’re still reducing the number of customers, but it could be in the order of 100,000 to 150,000,” Optus head of new products Harvey Wright said.

All of Australia’s telecommunications providers are shutting off 3G signal to expand the speed and reliability of their 4G and 5G networks.

TPG has switched off its 3G network, Telstra is expected to shut it off from August 31 and Optus expects to close it down from September 1.

Customers with 3G devices will lose access to communications services and the switch off is expected to hit rural and elderly Australians the hardest.

Flynn MP Colin Boyce has sounded the alarm about the impending shutdown.

“Not having a dependable phone service is undoubtedly isolating for individuals, stifling for business and potentially dangerous in any emergency,” he said in his submission to the inquiry.

“In rural areas, people are significant distances from service centres and even further from regional towns and the need for reliable phone coverage is paramount and even more essential than in the cities.

“With banks and other essential services pushing for online over face-to-face assistance and closing branches in the regions, there needs to be wider spread phone coverage instead of reductions.”

Telstra, Optus and TPG have been warning customers of the shutdown for years and have introduced a suite of measures to keep people connected after the shutdown.

Telstra will be giving out 12,000 free mobile devices to vulnerable customers who may struggle to switch from 3G to 4G.

“There are no-cost handsets, special discounts, budget offers and more for customers impacted by the 3G switch off as we fast approach the Optus deadline. This is all about keeping customers connected, so please engage with us to upgrade your handset,” Mr Wright said in mid July.

“We know that many impacted customers are actually using a 4G handset that reverts to 3G for calls, so it’s vital these customers understand the importance of upgrading their handsets when notified.

“We have already sent millions of messages directly to impacted customers, established support measures to understand if your handset needs to be upgraded, offered special deals and we also have trained professional staff only a phone call away and in our retail outlets ready to assist.”

Optus will offer 20,000 no-cost handsets to select customers experiencing challenges replacing their handset and existing postpaid customers can get up to $400 off any handset on an eligible plan in a bid to encourage them to upgrade their 3G handsets.

Telstra is also offering customers in vulnerable circumstances replacement phones.

“3G accounts for just 1 per cent of our total mobile network traffic, highlighting why now is a good time to repurpose its spectrum to support our 4G and 5G rollout across regional areas,” a Telstra spokeswoman told NewsWire.

“Since 2019 we have been upgrading our mobile sites to ensure that there will be new 4G coverage in places that previously only had 3G and we have been communicating with our 3G customers to make sure they were prepared for this network closure and updated any impacted devices.”