The looming 3G shutdown is going to cut off millions of Australians.
I’m asking the Senate to establish an inquiry and calling on the Telcos to stop their shutdown.
Transcript
3G Network shutdown is a potential life-threatening disaster for Australians and an expensive overhaul for essential services. Today, I’m asking the Senate to establish an inquiry into the looming shutdown of the 3G mobile network. Vodafone has shut down its smaller 3G network. Telstra will shut down all of its 3G services on June 30th. Optus plans to do the same in September.
Many Australians are using 4G or 5G capable devices today, yet they aren’t safe from the shutdown either, as I’ll explain later. Many of those Australians will still use 3G at some point, while millions need 3G, in some cases as a matter of life and death. There is an estimate that there are 3 million 3G reliant devices in the country. 3 million!
These devices aren’t just phones and tablets. They include EFTPOS machines, cars, security cameras, farm infrastructure, power meters, water meters, survey equipment, and 200,000 medical alarms. So, if you bought a device to alert someone when Grandad has a fall at home and can’t get up, unlucky granddad – the network’s been shut down. This looming catastrophe isn’t just limited to 3G phones. Australians who own a 4G phone aren’t safe either.
The Government has announced 740,000 4G phones may be unable to call 000 in an emergency once the 3G network is shut down.
These 4G phones are configured to rely on 3G for emergency phone calls, despite using 4G for the rest of their services. There are certainly questions about when the government knew three quarters of a million 4G phones were going to be affected by the 3G shutdown.
This inquiry will allow us to get the answer to that question. We know that 4G simply does not cover the existing areas covered by 3G. 3G towers, transmit further on average, then 4 or 5G. As conversions to the new generation of tower are made, people who previously had some service, are now being cut off completely.
Take the experience of Stacy Storrier reported by Emily Middleton in The Guardian. Her farm received 3G service allowing them to call an ambulance in an emergency and operate automated farm equipment. Stacy has shelled out for expensive upgrades to all of her farm equipment, but Telstra won’t promise she will receive any reception even on 4G after the shutdown.
Despite the opposite being true, Telstra tells her their maps show there was never any 3G coverage to her farm, so they have no obligation to provide any 4G. Now Stacy’s upgraded farm equipment looks like it will be worthless, and she has genuine concerns about how they’ll call for help in a life-or-death situation. In February, there was the story of the 3G outage in the Arnhem Land communities of Maningrida and Wurruwi, reported by Laetitia Lemke for NITV.
4G services were restored quickly after floods, but 3G took three weeks to come back online. The 3G ‘Pay As You Go’ power meters stopped working properly and residents couldn’t see how much electricity they were using. Now they’ve been saddled with huge electricity bills that they can’t afford.
Surveyors also use 3G enabled devices mapping out our roads and cities. Surveyors Australia tells us that it will cost each surveyor $15,000 to replace their 3G enabled equipment. Some businesses will be up for a bill of $1 million. Thousands of businesses rely on 3G enabled EFTPOS machines. Many of them are small businesses and don’t even realize it.
Can the Telcos – Optus, Telstra, TPG – guarantee to Parliament that they’ve told every single one of these small businesses they will be affected? No.
These stories are repeated in industry after industry and home after home right across our country.
I hope the Senate votes to establish this inquiry that I’m moving, and we can keep the mobile network on for the people in the bush and the city that badly need it.
Update: Delay of 3G Shutdown After Inquiry Established
The Senate has voted in favour of a One Nation motion establishing an inquiry into the looming 3G mobile network shutdown.
Australians across the country are still relying on the 3G network in life-or-death situations and it is too early to have this essential service turned off.
Vital medical alarms, farm infrastructure, small business EFTPOS machines and regional Australians are completely reliant on the 3G network.
This inquiry will allow the Senate to fully investigate the consequences of shutting down the 3G network before Australians are ready.
Revelations like the fact that 740,000 4G mobile phones will be unable to call Triple Zero after the shutdown prove Australia is not ready and the consequences are not fully understood.
Mobile phone coverage across Australia is bad enough as it is. Shutting down 3G will make it much worse. 4G only (sometimes) works in built up urban areas. The telephone companies think they are going sell lots of expensive 4G phones but for many, perhaps most, Australians it will mean no mobile phone at all.
Look for who is going to make money out of this. People will have to buy new mobile phones. And they aren’t cheap. It’s like the EV vehicles. Very expensive. Who benefits? Blackrock? Apple? Google? Microsoft? Chinese companies making the components?
And what about my gas stove?
These people are the new Puritans.
Keep on standing up to them and for us. Thanks.
I do rural, remote and wilderness contracts and totally rely on 3G for my communication requirements.
They need to leave 3G as is, because we will be plunged into a mess.once they disable it.
This is unbelievable news. Does this also threaten the countries security. A major threat to all communications. Why is this being done, and why isn’t the government stepping in to stop this. How much more of action to break the spirit and the backbone of this country will the government foster and allow?.
They won’t stop because they want to control your life. They don’t have the best interest of Australians at heart.
Telstra has sworn black and blue that the 4G coverage will be extended to the 3G frontier on the Eyre Peninsula.🤔
Don’t trust them!
I have a 3G phone & use Telstra but haven’t had access to apps or the internet from it since 2023. Further, I have learned that myGov & some other institutions who only accept a mobile number as a way of sending a 2fa don’t work anymore on the 3G service. I’m happy to go to Social Services in person, but that’s not encouraged either & it’s difficult to get them to respond to a call. (I have asked if a pre arranged verbal password or questions could be asked instead of digital confirmation, but all places responded in the negative). When asked what if their system is hacked, we get the promised black swan event or super cyber virus which will paralyse internet & what back up do they have – as part of good risk management- they are astounded by such a question. ) Aust should lead the way & get out of all digital & restore jobs to people, not machines
Another way to push people off the land and into the cities