Telstra and Optus planned to shut down their 3G networks at the end of August, however the closure of the networks has been delayed over concerns of service blackspots, especially in regional, remote and First Nations communities. People with 3G-reliant devices now have until October 28 to be ready to move to 4G and 5G networks.
Associate Professor Mark Gregory, telecommunications expert said, “The 3G shutdown has been controversial. “There are ongoing concerns about how the 3G shutdown will affect consumers, particularly people in regional and remote areas, including First Nations communities.”
“It was only after concerns were raised about the number of people and devices, including medical devices, that would lose connectivity that the federal government established a working group to explore how the impact of the 3G shutdown could be minimised.”
The companies will run a joint public awareness campaign and are advising customers to check their devices and connectivity.