As the end of August approaches, so too does the end of 3G in Australia. What do you need to do to prepare?
It may well be difficult to believe that 2024 is over halfway complete, but that’s definitely the case, and so too is this fact: the 3G network will be disconnected soon, too. Very soon.
In Australia, the 3G network covers more of the country than any other band, with 4G and 5G gradually catching up. However, since 2019 — one year after the introduction of 5G in major capital cities — mobile operators have been working to wind down 3G in total.
Originally, the 3G shutdown was slated for end of June, but the biggest providers of 3G have since pushed it back to the end of August, with Telstra originally slated to pull the plug on August 31, Optus from September 1, while Vodafone disconnected 3G at the end of 2023.
Since then, Telstra and Optus have extended the closure dates, leaving Australians with a little more time to get their 3G devices sorted, set to close the networks for both on October 28, 2024.
With 3G almost literally on its last legs in Australia, that can leave many in a position of what next. Simply put, what must you do to ensure you’re covered by 4G?
Check your phone
First thing first: glance down at your phone and work out how old it is.
If you can’t recall when you bought the thing, it may well be too old, which also may put it in the running for needing to be retired.
Ignoring the problem of devices being so old they lack updates, a phone from before 2012 when 4G first appeared on our shores is too old to work on the networks moving forward.
If you’re sure your phone is slightly newer, you may want to consider checking when you bought and where you bought it from.
Some 4G phones, particularly older models, default back to the 3G network for making emergency calls. If you have one of those phones, you’ll need to replace it simply because following the 3G shutdown, it won’t be able to connect to 000 for emergency calls when you need it.
SMS 3 to 3498
Looking at your phone may not be enough. Instead, you might just want to send a message from an affected phone to a service run by both Telstra and Optus to ensure that you’re fine.
Simply text the number 3 to 3498, or press the following link where we’ve filled it out for you: send 3 to 3498 (Australian phones only).
Both Telstra and Optus run these 3G phone checking services to find out whether you’re supported easily. A simple SMS can easily check that, and you can find out whether you need to upgrade ASAP.
Do you have other 3G devices?
While phones are predominantly the area affected most by the 3G shutdown, you may also want to check whether you have any other devices that run a 3G service and SIM.
These can include safety and alert devices, particularly for seniors and those who need help at home, as well as remote cameras on rural plots of land, and even older styles of EFTPOS terminals.
If you have any of these gadgets, you’ll need to upgrade the device and move on to something newer, otherwise these will stop communicating when the 3G networks stop working.
Thousands of people are still affected
It might sound strange, but there are thousands of people still using the 3G networks today, and in the next month, that will need to change. The 3G networks are going to be shut down, and if you have an older phone, you need to make a change immediately.
Both Telstra and Optus are offering solutions to help, with Telstra providing 12,000 free phones to people affected who may not be able to buy a new phone themselves, while Optus has offered up to 20,000 freebies and discounts for affected customers.
From 3G to 4G
Anyone making the move will likely make their way to the 4G network, if not the 5G, and that’s something each telco is noting will be improved in the coming weeks.
Telstra has said it should have parity for its 4G network up to 3G’s reach by the end of August, while Optus has said that much the same, but managed to go further by noting that it will keep the 3G network running in places past the September 1 shut-off until 4G has extended its reach. That could change now given the October 28 shut down extension, but we’ll have to wait and see.
You can take these as signs that the days of 3G are numbered and not long for this world. Even if 3G does work past October, it won’t for much longer, and will be shut off very, very soon.
UPDATE: Story updated with information about the Optus and Telstra extensions to the 3G closure.
