A major telecoms company has admitted that up to 150,000 Australians may no longer be able to make calls on their 3G numbers after 3G signals are switched off later this year.
An Optus representative has revealed that between 100,000 and 150,000 of the telco’s customers could face issues accessing Triple-0 calls or making online banking transactions when the company shuts down its 3G network in September.
“We are still losing customers, but it’s probably somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000,” said Harvey Wright, Optus’ head of new products.
All Australian telecom providers are shutting down 3G signals to boost the speed and reliability of their 4G and 5G networks.
TPG has already shut down its 3G network, with Telstra expected to shut it down from August 31 and Optus expected to shut it down from September 1.
Customers using 3G devices will lose access to communications services, with the shutdown expected to hit rural and elderly Australians the hardest.
Rep. Colin Boyce of the Flynn Party has sounded the alarm about the impending shutdown.
“The lack of reliable telephone service creates a sense of isolation for others, disrupts business, and can be dangerous in an emergency,” he said in his filing with the inquiry.
“In rural areas, people are far from service centers, and even farther from regional cities, so the need for reliable phone signals is even more important than in cities.”
“As banks and other essential services push online services instead of in-person support and close branches in regions, it is imperative to expand phone coverage rather than reduce it,”
Telstra, Optus and TPG have been warning customers about the shutdown for years and have introduced a series of measures to help people stay connected after the shutdown.
“There are free handsets, special discounts, savings and more for customers affected by the 3G shutdown as we rapidly approach the Optus deadline to keep customers connected, so please contact us to upgrade your handset,” Mr Wright said in mid-July.
“We know that many of our affected customers were using 4G phones and then switched to 3G for calls, so it’s important that these customers understand the importance of upgrading their phones when they receive the alert.”
“We have sent millions of direct messages to affected customers, put in place measures to help them understand if they need to upgrade their phone, offer special offers, and have trained professionals ready to help you over the phone just by calling us and in our retail stores.”
Optus will offer 20,000 free handsets to select customers who are struggling to replace their handsets, and current postpaid customers will receive up to $400 off any handset on an eligible plan to encourage them to upgrade their 3G handsets.
Telstra also offers a phone replacement service for customers in vulnerable situations.
“3G accounts for just 1 per cent of our total mobile traffic, which suggests now is a good time to shift spectrum to support the rollout of 4G and 5G in regional areas,” a Telstra spokesperson told NewsWire.
“Since 2019, we have been upgrading our mobile sites to ensure new 4G coverage in areas previously 3G-only, and we have been communicating with our 3G customers to ensure they are prepared for this network shutdown and have updated their affected devices.”
