Major telcos are under increasing pressure to ensure all Australians can connect to triple zero when the 3G network shuts down from next month, with Optus set to deliver 20,000 new phones to vulnerable Australians to enable them to make the switch.
Telstra plans to shut down its aging network on August 31, having extended its original June shutdown deadline, while Optus will close from September.
TPG Telecom and Vodaphone have already deactivated the service.
There are still 102,000 mobile phones across the country that are not 4G compatible, according to the latest industry figures provided to the government.
These devices, often bought abroad or used secondhand, use 4G data for regular calls and texts but drop triple-zero 3G calling because they are not enabled with a technology called Voice over LTE.
Users may not realize their phone is set this way by the manufacturer until the 3G network goes down and they need to call the emergency line.
The number of such devices in use has dropped from 740,000 in March after the government formed an industry task force.
The significant efforts by telecoms companies to reach out to affected customers is encouraging, but more needs to be done, said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.
According to the latest industry figures, there are still 102,000 mobile phones nationwide that are not compatible with 4G (file image)
“The government is keen to see these works intensified and continued,” Rowland said in a statement on Thursday morning.
‘All Australians should have confidence in the triple-zero service.
‘I encourage everyone to check their own devices, talk to friends, family and loved ones about switching to 3G and contact their service providers directly for more information.’
Telstra and Optus have a service for customers to check the status of their device by texting the word ‘3’ to the number 3498.
Users will also hear a pre-recorded message on non-emergency outgoing calls if they need to update their phones.
Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (ATMA) chief executive Louise Hyland has urged customers to update all their devices once the 3G network is switched off.
Anyone with a mobile phone still connected to the 3G network has been urged not to call triple 0 to check if their device is still connected, but instead visit the ATMA website.
Users of 3G-enabled mobile phones will not be able to make emergency calls once the network is permanently shut down.
Research from Optus published last week identified suburbs and regions with the highest number of incompatible devices, where many residents are native speakers of Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Korean.
Some areas may also have large cohorts of international university students.
The city suburbs with the highest number of affected devices on the Optus network were Melbourne’s CBD and Sydney’s Macquarie Park, Marsfield and Millers Point.
Optus will shut down its 3G network permanently from September, while Telstra will do the same on August 31 (file image)
The main regional areas were Port Hedland in Western Australia, Cairns and Sarina in Queensland, and Griffith and Orange in New South Wales.
Optus was using research to reach those demographics through social media and local media.
Both telcos said they have been improving their 4G and 5G coverage in the run-up to the 3G shutdown.
In the meantime, Optus will offer 20,000 eligible customers, including those in financial hardship and older people, a free phone to make the switch.
The telecommunications company is also offering existing prepaid customers up to $400 off any phone with an eligible plan to upgrade from 3G, and $1 per month contracts with 24 or 36 month terms on select phones.
It is understood Optus customers have been notified via messages about the network upgrade.
Other retailers have also taken similar steps to ease the transition.