Australias two biggest telco giants will switch off their 3G services within days- a move which will leave tens of thousands of Aussies in the lurch due to their phones effectively being rendered useless.
The shutdown of the mobile began late last year when Vodafone became the first telco to switch off its 3G network.
Telstra and Optus will follow suit and shut down their networks by October 28.
There are still 740,000 devices across the country which still need to be switched over before the deadline, or be rendered useless - due to a combination of those devices being older or foreign-made.
Based on recent estimates, there are about 59,000 devices across Australia that will need to be updated over the next week.
There are handsets in Australia that rely solely on the 3G network for voice calling, with these handsets not being able to make calls when the switchover to 4G occurs.
One customer Madeleine, who is using a four-year-old iPhone 11 with the Amaysim network, was given just 11 days notice to upgrade her device.
She said her telcos messages made it sound like she just needed to change plans.
About 59,000 phones across the country will be made useless after Telstra and Optus shut off their 3G networks on October 28 (stock image)
As part of the upgrade, she will need to buy a new phone or risk not being able to make calls, texts or use the internet on her device.
I was so frustrated when I found that I had to buy a new phone. My current phone, despite being four years old, works perfectly fine and I havent budgeted to spend $1000+ on a new one, so its really going to make a dent in my savings, Madeline said.
To see if your device is one of the impacted phones, text the number 3 to 3498 from the device you believe is impacted.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the switchover to 4G and 5G would boost data capacity, speed and capability of Australias mobile network.
This means better quality mobile, less congestion on the networks and a better experience right across the country, including for our regions. This will make a real difference to households and businesses who are using more connected devices than ever, Ms Rowland said.
Optus head of new products Harvey Wright told NewsWire that the telco had sent more than 10 million messages to impacted customers in their base, including giving directions on how to get support throughout the process.
To maintain connectivity customers need to get a compatible device. We are providing a range of different options for those customers, he said.
Optus have sent over 10million messages to impacted customers with directions on how to get support throughout the shutting-down process (stock image)
We recognise we are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, so we are providing customers with a range of discounted and zero cost devices to help with that upgrade process, Mr Wright said.
Telstra was also contacted by NCA Newswire but did not respond.
Businesses warned to check their devices
It wont just be mobile devices that are impacted, with other key pieces of equipment using the 3G network.
Mr Wright said while the upgrade would help improve the reliability, capacity and speed in Australia, it wouldnt just be mobile devices that were impacted but potentially other devices like tablets and dongles.
Customers may be using a device that is: Still reliant on 3G, a 4G device that uses 3G for emergency calls or an overseas or grey market device that isnt compatible with Australian 4G technology
Small and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson warned businesses to check their systems before October 28.
Many of us do not realise there is an awful lot of technology and equipment we use every day thats enabled by 3G as the wireless comms link and that it will stop working when the system is turned off later this month unless it is upgraded, Mr Billson said.
He said more could be done by telecommunications companies and technology manufacturers and suppliers to improve awareness and action among small businesses, to identify those who might unknowingly be using 3G, and to explain the wide-ranging effects and options to upgrade or replace their equipment as soon as possible.
Dont risk being caught out. Please, check the functionality of your technology so youre not a 3G casualty, Mr Billson said.