Why telco giants like Telstra are in a rush to get Aussies onto new phones – as Optus gives away 20,000 handsets to ‘vulnerable’ customers

The big telcos are under increasing pressure to ensure every Australian can connect to triple-zero when the 3G network shuts down next month. Optus is to hand out 20,000 new phones to vulnerable Australians who want to make the switch.

Telstra will switch off its legacy network on August 31, after the original June shutdown date was extended. Optus will close from September.

TPG Telecom and Vodafone have already discontinued the service.

According to the latest industry figures provided to the government, there are still 102,000 mobile phones in the country that are not compatible with 4G.

These devices, often bought abroad or second-hand, use 4G data for regular calls and texts, but switch to 3G for low-range calls because they lack a technology called Voice over LTE.

Users may not realize that their phone has been configured this way by the manufacturer until the 3G network is disabled and they have to call 911.

The number of these devices in use has fallen from 740,000 in March, after the government set up an industry task force.

The significant efforts by telecom companies to reach affected customers are encouraging, but more needs to be done, said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.

“The government is keen to see this work scaled up and continued,” Ms Rowland said in a statement on Thursday morning.

‘All Australians should have confidence in the triple-zero serve.

‘I encourage everyone to check their device themselves, talk to friends, family and loved ones about making the switch to 3G, and contact their service provider directly for more information.’

Telstra and Optus offer customers the ability to check the status of their device by texting ‘3’ to 3498.

Users will also hear a pre-recorded message on outgoing calls that are not emergency, such as if they need to upgrade their phone.

Louise Hyland, CEO of the Australian Mobile Telecommunication Association (ATMA), is urging customers to upgrade all their devices once the 3G network is switched off.

People with a mobile phone that is still connected to the 3G network are requested not to call Triple-0 to check if their device is still connected, but instead to visit the ATMA website.

Mobile phone users that support 3G will no longer be able to make emergency calls once the network is permanently shut down.

Research by Optus published last week found that suburbs and regions have the highest number of incompatible devices, despite many residents speaking Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Korean as their first language.

Some areas may also be home to large groups of international university students.

The suburbs with the highest number of affected devices on the Optus network were Melbourne’s CBD and Macquarie Park, Marsfield and Millers Point in Sydney.

Optus will permanently close its 3G network from September, while Telstra will make the move on August 31 (stock image)

The main regional areas were Port Hedland (Western Australia), Cairns and Sarina in Queensland and Griffith and Orange in New South Wales.

Optus used the research to target these audiences across social and local media.

Both telecom companies said they have improved their 4G and 5G coverage in the run-up to the 3G shutdown.

Meanwhile, Optus is offering 20,000 eligible customers – including the elderly and those in financial difficulty – a free device to help them make the switch.

The telecom company is also offering existing prepaid customers up to $400 off any device with a qualifying 3G upgrade plan, as well as $1-per-month contracts for 24 or 36 months on selected devices.

Optus customers have reportedly been notified of the network upgrade via messages.

Other retailers have taken similar measures to ease the transition.