Concerns for triple-zero services amid 3G shutdown

The federal government has called the chief executives of Telstra, Optus and TPG into a new working group and flagged potential new regulations amid concerns that nearly 1 million mobile phones will be unable to call triple-zero emergency services when the nation’s 3G network is switched off this year.

Australia’s 3G network will be shut down in stages between now and September, and up to 740,000 customers may have devices that cannot make triple-zero calls, according to Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who is co-ordinating an industry-wide effort to avoid the problem.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.Credit: SMH

It’s thought that many older smartphones are 4G-enabled but default to the 3G network for triple-zero calls, meaning those devices would be unable to contact triple zero once that network is shuttered.

“Understandably, the government is very concerned that affected customers may mistakenly think their mobile device is fit for purpose when it would fail them in an emergency, particularly given the affected devices would work almost all the time, except to call triple zero,” Rowland said in a letter to telco executives seen by this masthead.

“I am also particularly worried about the implications of the Telstra 3G shutdown, given the breadth of its coverage in regional areas. As I understand it, when Telstra shuts down its 3G network, customers with affected devices will lose access to emergency calls in regional locations currently serviced by Telstra 3G that are outside Optus’ 3G coverage zone.

“It is also concerning to me that, at present, customers do not have a simple and secure way to test whether their device is affected.”

The 3G network is being shut down so that Australia’s telcos can repurpose the 3G bandwidth for their 4G and 5G networks. A recent estimate put the total number of 3G-reliant devices in Australia at about 3 million, including phones, eftpos machines, cars, tablets, security cameras and medical alarms.

“TPG Telecom is committed to continue its close collaboration with government and industry to ensure a seamless and safe transition as the nation’s 3G networks are phased out,” a TPG spokesman said.

A Telstra spokesman said the company was contacting customers who could be affected by the issue to let them know they might need to upgrade their device.

Optus vice president of government and regulatory affairs Andrew Sheridan also said the telco was contacting customers who could be affected by the closure of its 3G network.

“Optus is continuing to communicate directly with customers who we believe will be impacted by the closure of our 3G network from September 2024 to strongly encourage them to change their device,” Sheridan said.

The three major telcos and the peak industry body, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, have all been asked to join the working group. It will provide fortnightly updates to the government on efforts to identify potentially impacted customers and identify ways for customers to check if their devices will be impacted.

Rowland said regulatory intervention may be necessary, including a potential delay of the 3G switchover.

“Supporting Australians’ access to triple zero is critical,” Rowland said. “While the government supports the safe switchover from 3G, it is important Australians are aware that some devices in the mobile market are not appropriately configured to contact emergency services on the 4G network.

Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman.Credit: Paul Jeffers

“The government will continue to monitor this issue closely and consider options under law if warranted in the public interest. I would encourage Australians who think their device may be impacted to reach out to their service provider for more information.”

Shadow communications minister David Coleman said the Albanese government had been too slow to act and had been “caught napping” on the looming risks to Australians’ access to the triple-zero service.

“The government has known for a long time that the 3G networks were being shut down. TPG already closed down its 3G network last December. Telstra is due to shut down its 3G network on June 30, while Optus will follow suit in September,” Coleman said.

“So why has the Albanese government failed to engage properly on this issue until now?”

He welcomed the fact the government had “finally woken up ... but they’ve been caught napping on this”.

The development comes as Optus this month apologised to its customers and paid a $1.5 million fine after Australia’s communications watchdog found large-scale breaches of public safety rules relating to triple-zero and emergency services.

An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority found that close to 200,000 Optus customers were left at risk from the telco failing to upload information to a database used by emergency services between January 2021 and September 2023.

Australia’s triple-zero system is also under scrutiny amid multiple recent failures and the death of a Telstra customer this month during a “technical incident” that affected triple-zero services for more than an hour.

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