3G shutdown to affect more customers' access to Triple Zero

More than a million phones could be impacted by 3G network shutdowns later this year, a telecommunications working group set up to monitor the closures has told communications minister Michelle Rowland.

When Telstra and Optus close their 3G networks later this year, customers who haven’t updated their handsets will lose access to 3G-based services.

The shutdown will also affect other applications, such as internet of things and medical alert devices.

Some older 4G handsets that don’t support voice-over-LTE revert to 3G for emergency calls, so will also be impacted.

In response to growing concerns in regional and remote communities, the government convened a working group to try to manage the issue.

The working group comprises Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA).

“A key concern for government is the subset of 4G-enabled devices that default to 3G when making emergency calls," Rowland said in a statement.

“I was first briefed by my department in early March that up to 740,000 4G handsets may not be able to make emergency calls following the switchover, and this figure was recently revised to up to one million following the formal reporting request I made to industry.

“I did not consider that consumers had enough awareness of this problem, or information to address it.

"That’s why I immediately requested industry stand up a working group to improve information sharing between mobile carriers, establish fortnightly reporting to government, and scale up customer communications.”

The working group will be reporting to the government on a fortnightly basis.

Opposition communications spokesperson David Coleman has called the minister “negligent”, telling the ABC the AMTA was first in touch with the government last November.

This week, Telstra launched a tool to help customers find out if they're impacted by the shutdown.

As explained here, customers can text "3" to 3498, and Telstra will reply telling them if they need to take action.