Vending machines and other unattended retail sites are also feeling the consequences of the 3G network shutdown.
Major telcos in Australia have been slowly moving away from 3G, with Vodafone already pulling the plug on the network late last year.
Many vending machines that are connected to 3G now cannot process digital card payments.
Quality Vend founder and CEO Robbie Allison warned that car parks and laundromats, which are also underserved and reliant on card payments, will also be affected.
“The issue is that people walk up to a vending machine or other unattended retail space and don’t really know that that’s the problem and that the equipment isn’t properly supported,” he said. 2GB‘s Ben Fordham on Friday.
Vending machines and other unattended retail sites are now also feeling the consequences of the 3G network shutdown (pictured, a vending machine that has been experiencing problems at the 2GB radio office)
The radio station had noted that its own vending machine, owned by Quality Vend, had been experiencing problems over the past few months.
“It’s a huge cost for us,” Allison said.
He said the cost would be about $650, and for a $10,000 vending machine, the expected annual profit was about $1,000.
“So more than half of the profits that go into the average vending machine this year will actually go toward replacing the machine,” he said.
“I know that I am already down between 5 and 10 percent in sales compared to last year at this time due to these cuts.”
The shutdown of the 3G network will cause problems for many Australians on a wide range of devices.
Telstra will close its 3G network on June 30, while Optus will end the service in September. Vodafone disconnected 3G for its customers last December.
While most phones currently in service primarily access 4G or 5G networks, there are an estimated three million devices, including phones, EFTPOS machines, cars, security cameras and medical alarms, that still rely on 3G.
There is also now concern about the estimated one million 4G phones that are old or were bought abroad and rely on 3G to call emergency services.
These phones use 4G for other services like calling and texting, but use 3G to call Triple Zero.
Many 3G-connected vending machines now do not process digital card payments (file image)
