Australia’s two largest telecommunications companies have announced they will delay the shutdown of their 3G networks.
Telstra and Optus confirmed the move on Wednesday morning, saying in a joint statement they would use the extra time to communicate the upcoming closure to customers.
Telstra was due to shut down its 3G network at the end of August and Optus throughout September.
But they now say this will happen from October 28.
“We are partnering with Telstra to launch a final public awareness campaign to really drive home the safety message and inspire the remaining groups of customers to take action,” Michael Venter, Acting CEO of Optus, said in a press release.
Vodafone has already closed its 3G network.
How to check if you are affected by the 3G shutdown
A Senate investigation into revealed that thousands of handsets would not be able to make triple zero calls.
At the beginning of August, 77,000 handsets were still affected.
There are also concerns that other devices, including EFTPOS machines, medical alert devices and fire alarms, could also be affected by the shutdown.
“While I am pleased that customers and businesses now have more time to prepare for the move to 3G, I want to encourage all Australians to take action and check whether their device may be impacted,” the company said on Wednesday. Minister of Communications, Michelle Rowland, in a press release.
“The government remains concerned about a subset of 4G phones that are configured by the manufacturer to default to 3G for Triple Zero calls and personal medical alarms that rely on the 3G network.”
These 4G phones – often bought overseas or second-hand – use 4G data for regular calls and texts, but shift triple-zero calls to 3G because they are not compatible with a technology called Voice over LTE.
Users may not realize that their phone is configured this way by the manufacturer until the 3G network is turned off.
Australians can text “3” to 3498 to check if they will be affected by the closure.
The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association also created which will tell you if you need to take action after entering the IMEI number of your device.
Customers can also contact their carriers for more information or visit them in store.
With reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
