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In a world where people are connected online, it is not enough to check social media posts which requires good and stable network infrastructure.
Many life-saving medical devices, such as fall alarms, cardio monitors, oxygen systems, and pacemakers, also rely on stable connections to continue functioning.
That’s why Susi Tegan, CEO of the National Rural Health Alliance, is concerned about 3G networks being turned off starting today.
“We know it’s coming, and you know, most people have been informed and heard about the 3G shutdown and the move to 4G, or maybe 5G. The fact is that it there are older people, also people with disabilities, and we just want to make sure that people with personal medical alarms, personal non-medical alarms, used for emergency and security purposes, as well as these CPAP therapy devices, realize that the messages might no longer get through.
First launched in 2003, first in cities and then in rural areas, 3G networks were built on previous communications technologies and protocols and helped people make more stable long-distance calls with their family and friends.
It launched the mobile Internet era, allowed people to browse websites and send emails on their phones, and laid the foundation for our digital lives today.
But with the emergence of 4G, 5G and even 6G technologies in some parts of the world, Australian telecoms companies are starting to plan to shut down outdated 3G and pave the way for faster networks.
And because of the long history of the networks and their impacts on rural areas, Ms Tegan fears the switch-off could deprive regional Australians of an essential service.
“Our biggest concern is that they won’t be able to call Triple Zero after closing, if they hadn’t changed. And to be honest, rural populations already have the worst health outcomes, they die much younger, between 12 and 12 years old. 16 years earlier than the rest of Australia, so we can’t afford to have someone who doesn’t have a Triple Zero number in case of a health or medical emergency. »
Australia is not the only country to turn off 3G.
In the United States, most 2G and 3G services have been phased out by the end of 2022, while China completed a major 3G shutdown last year.
Singapore is also rolling out its extinction this year.
Australia had initially planned to do so in 2019, but the official shutdown has been delayed twice, amid concerns about its impacts on regional communities already struggling with poor connections.
Now that Optus and Telstra have officially started to switch off, there are calls for the federal government and telecommunications companies to boost mobile coverage in regional Australia.
John Hassell is the president of WA Farmers. He fears that when 3G is turned off and 4G is rolled out, the new networks won’t cover far enough.
“I think the phone companies have just told us that they’re doing it, that it’s not something that we have a lot of choice or anything, we would like to see greater commitment from the telephone companies, and also meet our expectations rather than just telling us this is going to happen, and we’ll see what happens and I think that’s not a very satisfactory way to do it, we would like. make sure all the covers are there, and that it fits well enough away, does everything it needs to do and has no impact on our businesses and our safety, I think that’s pretty important.
Apart from those living in regional Australia, people using old phones or mobiles purchased overseas could also be affected by the deactivation.
Optus says it has run a six-week awareness campaign about the closure and, so far, has offered 20,000 free devices to some customers, including those facing financial difficulties.
Federal Communications Minister MIchelle Rowland has urged Australians to check whether they will be affected by the shutdown and upgrade their phones as soon as possible.
“The move to 3G is a business decision made by network providers and the industry has made significant efforts to identify and contact potentially affected customers and encourage them to check and upgrade their device. My department will continue to working with telcos during the 3G transition process to ensure this happens in a secure and well-managed manner.
Australians can find out if their phones are affected by texting “3” to the number 3498.
