Telstra and Optus have come together to announce an extension to their 3G network shutdowns in order to allow users more time to upgrade and conduct a public awareness campaign. The new shutdown date for 3G via both Telstra and Optus is October 28, 2024.
Previously, the 3G networks offered by Australia’s two largest telcos were set to shut down much earlier – as early as June and September for Telstra and Optus respectively – but now the telcos will be working together to ensure affected customers understand what this shutdown means for them. Vodafone already shut down its Australian 3G network in late 2023.
“Both carriers are confident they’ve exhausted every avenue of customer communication available to them, and this additional public awareness campaign will ensure that the upcoming 3G closures are front of mind for all Australians,” the telcos said in a joint statement.
“From experience, both Telstra and Optus know there will always be customers who are aware of the closures, but who won’t take the action they need to before the closures for a range of reasons. Sometimes the actual closure is the only motivation that works.”
The 3G infrastructure used by both Telstra and Optus will be repurposed to bolster coverage of the 4G and 5G bands.
Who will the 3G shutdown impact?
Speaking broadly, this shutdown shouldn’t affect most phone users. If your mobile is capable of accessing the 4G or 5G network, then you’ll likely have no need to worry – though you can expect to no longer see the ‘3G’ icon in the corner of your screen come the end of October. It might even serve as a motivator to upgrade to a 5G-capable device, if you’ve got an older handset that cusps the edge of the 3G-to-4G era.
If you’re looking for a new 4G and 5G capable phone, finding one is easy. You can compare phone plans across networks, plan inclusions and devices with our own dedicated tools, or you can read up on the best phones in Australia. If you don’t want to break the bank, then it’s worth checking out our guide to the best budget phones in Australia.
If you have a particularly old device, Telstra and Optus have both announced initiatives to upgrade phones and offer deals ahead of the network shutdowns. You can also check if your phone will be affected by texting the number ‘3’ to 3498.
The shutdown will, however, have an adverse effect on medical devices that are 3G-reliant. If you or somebody you know is using a medical device that requires access to a mobile network in case of an emergency, you can check on the AMTA website to see if the medical equipment will be impacted – just bring the IMEI number of the device.
The shutdown will also have an oversized impact on people in rural and remote communities, particularly First Nations communities, according to RMIT. If you have loved ones that live in regional or rural Australia, it’s worth checking up on them to make sure they won’t be bitten by this closure, and take any actions they can to mitigate the impact.
Read more about the 3G shutdown in Australia
