The expertise that allowed thousands and thousands of Australians to hook up with the world via their cellphones is being turned off this week.
The primary high-speed cell community, 3G, was launched in Australia in 2003 however has been overtaken by higher and quicker connections.
Whereas Vodafone started shutting down its 3G community between December 2023 and January 2024, Telstra and Optus will do the identical at 12.01am AEDT on Monday.
Why is that this taking place? Will you be affected? What do you have to do in case you are? This is what you should know.
Why is 3G shutting down in Australia?
As expertise advances, 3G utilization has regularly declined, and this development is predicted to proceed.
to focus their efforts and assets on enhancing 4G, enhancing capability, velocity, and reliability whereas additionally accelerating the expansion of 5G companies.
Optus vp of presidency and regulatory affairs Andrew Sheridan mentioned: “As soon as we’ve switched off 3G, prospects will reap the advantages of the Optus 4G and 5G community.”
Dr Faycal Bouhafs, a researcher in wi-fi communications from the College of New South Wales, mentioned 4G and 5G networks supply higher connectivity.
“If you happen to change onto 4G and 5G, you should have higher efficiency, higher high quality of service when it comes to connectivity,” he beforehand instructed SBS Information.
Australia is not the one nation to modify off 3G.
Most 2G and 3G companies in the USA had been phased out by the tip of 2022, and China accomplished the vast majority of its shutdowns by the tip of 2023.
Singapore has initiated its countdown from July 2024, and the UK can be regularly switching off 2G and 3G by 2033.
Will my cellphone nonetheless work after the 3G shutdown?
Telcos have been reaching out to affected prospects individually, but when you have not been contacted but, it is nonetheless a good suggestion to test in case your machine shall be impacted.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady mentioned they’ve been contacting prospects about the necessity to put together and make the transfer for nearly 5 years.
“This has included a number of letters, invoice messages, SMS, public consciousness campaigns, promoting — even door knocking and sending free telephones to folks in weak circumstances, and our help for purchasers will not finish the day the community closes,” Brady mentioned in a media launch.
One option to test in case your machine is impacted is by texting the quantity 3 to 3498 from the machine you assume is likely to be affected.
Alternatively, you possibly can enter your cell phone’s 15-digit Worldwide Cellular Tools Id quantity into the Australian Cellular Telecommunications Affiliation checker.
What’s going to cease working after the shutdown?
In case your machine was manufactured earlier than 2019, it’s prone to be impacted.
It is vital to notice that not solely 3G units shall be affected. Some newer 4G fashions, particularly these bought abroad or imported, can also be impacted if they are not configured for Australian networks or don’t help 4G.
Faraz Hasan, a telecommunications knowledgeable on the College of New England, beforehand instructed SBS Information: “There are some 4G units which can be configured by their producers to modify again to 3G once they’re making triple zero calls.”
Along with telephones, different units similar to tablets, smartwatches, EFTPOS machines, fireplace alarms, medical gear, safety cameras, scanners, and farm equipment that depend on 3G may even be impacted.
For these with non-standard units related to the 3G community, similar to medical gear, Telstra recommends contacting the specialist supplier to discover a appropriate various.
Do I must improve my cellphone after the shutdown?
In case your cellphone is discovered to be unaffected by the shutdown, you need not take any motion at the moment. Nonetheless, as telcos suggest, it is advisable to replace your machine’s software program sooner or later to make sure optimum community efficiency.
Changing the SIM card in a tool that shall be affected by the shutdown isn’t an answer. You will want to modify to a brand new cellphone that’s appropriate with 4G or 5G networks and configured to help VoLTE for emergency calls.
VoLTE is a expertise that permits voice calls to be transmitted over a 4G community.
Yow will discover out in case your machine is affected by the 3G shutdown by sending the quantity 3 to 3498. Credit score: Provided
Will the shutdown affect entry to emergency companies?
In case your machine depends on a 3G community, you’ll need to improve earlier than midnight on Sunday, 27 October to make sure you can proceed to obtain and make calls, together with to Triple Zero.
It isn’t advisable to name Triple Zero to check your machine.
Due to this fact, guaranteeing your cell machine is appropriate with 4G or 5G networks earlier than the deadline is crucial.
What can I do with my previous machine that solely had 3G?
If you should substitute your previous cellphone, you possibly can think about recycling it via the trade’s official cell phone recycling program, MobileMuster.
Yow will discover a close-by drop-off level by visiting their web site or selecting the free post-back choice.
Bear in mind to take away your information earlier than recycling.
