Australian small businesses have less than a week to retire their 3G devices before the network shuts down, or risk losing connection to vital workplace technology.
Telstra and Optus will shut down their 3G mobile networks on Monday, October 28, in a full transition to the 4G and 5G mobile networks.
Crucially, phones are not the only 3G technology that will be cut off: some EFTPOS terminals, scanners, tablets, routers, security systems, fire alarms, and farm gate sensors will no longer work on the network beyond October 28.
Telstra estimates 3G devices accounted for just 1% of total network traffic in 2024, with the vast majority of individuals and businesses switching to more advanced systems in recent years.
However, those still reliant on 3G technology will lose coverage unless they transition to newer devices.
Telstra says users with 3G mobile devices must upgrade to a 4G or 5G capable device that is also Voice over LTE (VoLTE) capable by next Monday.
For phones, users can SMS ‘3’ to 3498 for information about their mobile device.
Business and enterprise customers concerned about their non-mobile devices should contact their network provider for advice.
The major network providers alerted users to the 3G retirement plan in 2019, and both Telstra and Optus pushed back their shut-down date by two months to help users adapt.
Even so, business advocates are concerned for those yet to get the message.
“I fear many small, family and farming businesses are unaware of the scope of this event and the possible business-harming disconnection and technology dysfunction they may face,” Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson announced last week.
Earlier, industry representatives voiced their concern about the cost of replacing obsolete technology, especially for smaller businesses.
Surveyors Australia, an industry group representing the surveying sector, told a Senate committee that replacing 3G-enabled units could cost $15,000 a piece.
“This is a significant and unexpected expense for an industry in which 70% of operators are small businesses,” the committee said in an interim report.
The committee also conceded the full consequences of the shutdown may only become apparent after the fact.
The “full extent of non-mobile devices that could be impacted is not yet clear,” it said.
“For example, the department had only contacted the elevator industry to check if the emergency phones in elevators would continue to work in the week of our Senate hearing.
“While this is just one example, these issues raise the question of what other devices that we do not know about which could be impacted.”
The committee will release a full report on the 3G network shutdown by November 30.
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Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
