AT the end of the month, 3G is set to be eradicated.
Reports suggest this will impact up to half a million Australians.
If this information has washed over you in recent years, you’re probably not in isolation.
When 3G launched in 2006, we used our mobile devices for calls, texting and accessing basic information online.
Since then, technology and customer usage has significantly changed.
But, with any change, come roadblocks.
An interim report said Australia was “inadequately prepared” for the changeover.
Telstra is due to shut down on August 31 and Optus in September.
The switch-off was announced in 2019, and there has been more than ample time to prepare for it.
But the Albanese Government has made a complete mess of the process through inaction and failing to act on looming problems.
They’ve done nothing to address the risks until this year, just months before the spectrum is due to be shut down.
Even then, its response has been slow.
Evidence to the 3G Senate inquiry last week, revealed warning signs began emerging in mid-2023, particularly around 4G phones that would not be able to call the triple zero emergency service.
The inquiry has also been told of concerns about the impact of the looming 3G shutdown on non-mobile devices that rely on 3G, including fire alarms, medical alerts, surveying instruments and wireless monitoring and operating systems used on farms.
Now we are seeing a desperate race against time to fix the issues before the shut-down.
There’s now calls for the Minister to extend the pending shutdown, enabling time to iron out these issues.
Mobile customers of any network can text ‘3’ to ‘3498’ and receive an instant reply on whether their mobile handset will be impacted by the switchover.
If you haven’t done so, I strongly encourage you to do so.
For more information, contact your mobile provider or get in touch with my office.
