The 3G network shutdown has begun in Australia. Vodafone is the first major telco to make the move as of 15 December 2023, to make way for new tech.
3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. Currently, we've progressed to 5G, meaning the technology for mobile communications is newer and much more efficient.
So similar to how Australia experienced the shutdown of 2G in 2018, we're now bracing for a similar scenario with 3G.
Telstra and Optus have already phased out parts of their 3G network and redeployed the spectrum to help their 4G and 5G services instead.
Vodafone shut down its 3G network on 15 December 2023.
Telstra will follow suit on 30 June 2024 and Optus from September 2024.
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that use either the Vodafone, Telstra or Optus network will also be impacted by the shutdown. This includes the likes of Boost Mobile, amaysim, Belong, Catch Connect and felix.
| Response | WA | VIC | SA | QLD | NSW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | 45.95% | 48.97% | 51.85% | 46.82% | 47.35% |
| Yes | 39.64% | 41.1% | 34.57% | 44.09% | 42.06% |
| I don't know | 14.41% | 9.59% | 13.58% | 8.64% | 10.58% |
| I don't have a mobile phone/mobile phone plan | 0.34% | 0.45% |
Vodafone's 3G network is now a thing of the past.
Its 3G network carried less than 1% of the network's total mobile data traffic.
Before the shutdown, a Vodafone spokesperson had told Finder they had been "committed to keeping their consumer and enterprise customers informed in the lead up to the 3G switch-off" so they'd be prepared well in advance.
All of Telstra's 3G services will cease by 30 June 2024.
Its 3G network has been in operation since 2006 and the shutdown will come just shy of 2 decades of use.
The telco giant has warned that customers will need to have phones that have Voice over LTE (VoLTE) capabilities in order to make and receive calls.
Optus will be the last of the lot to shut down its 3G network from September 2024.
"From September 2024, we'll be repurposing our 3G technology to boost the capacity, speed and reliability of our 4G network and rollout 5G to even more Australians," an Optus blog post says.
"For those interested, this standard practice is called re-farming when a specific mobile radio frequency band is repurposed from one technology to another."
We've curated a list of 3G-only phones in a table that'll be impacted by the shutdown. You can use the search function to type in the model you're looking for.
| Brand | Phone |
|---|---|
| Alcatel | 2038 |
| Alcatel | OneTouch 2045 |
| Alcatel | Optus X Lite 2038X |
| Alcatel | Optus X Play |
| Alcatel | Optus X Smart |
| Alcatel | Pixi 3 (3.5) |
| Alcatel | U3 |
| Apple | iPhone 4 |
| Apple | iPhone 4S |
| Apple | iPhone 5 |
| Apple | iPhone 5C |
| Apple | iPhone 5S |
| Apple | iPhone 3GS |
| Aspera | A42 |
| Doro | 6521 |
| Doro | Optus PhoneEasy 623 |
| Pixel | |
| Pixel 2 | |
| Pixel 2 XL | |
| Pixel 3 | |
| Pixel 3 XL | |
| Pixel 3a | |
| Pixel 3a XL | |
| Hipipooo | Super Small Mini Smartphone |
| Huawei | E5251s-2 |
| Huawei | E5331 |
| Huawei | Y6 Prime |
| Konka | FP8 |
| Konka | U6 |
| Nokia | C2-01 |
| Nokia | 301 |
| Oppo | A57 |
| Oppo | F1s |
| Oppo | F5 Youth |
| PrzSay | Cheap Mobile Phone |
| Samsung | Chrono R260 |
| Samsung | Galaxy Grand Prime |
| Samsung | Galaxy J1 Mini |
| Samsung | Galaxy Note 1 |
| Samsung | Galaxy Note 2 |
| Samsung | Galaxy S |
| Samsung | Galaxy S10 Plus |
| Samsung | Galaxy S2 |
| Samsung | Galaxy S3 |
| Samsung | Galaxy S4 |
| Samsung | Galaxy S5 |
| Samsung | Galaxy S8 Plus |
| Samsung | Galaxy S9 |
| Samsung | Galaxy S9 Plus |
| Samsung | Galaxy Trend Plus |
| Samsung | Stride R330 |
| Sony Ericsson | Cedar (J108a) |
| SOYES | Xs11 |
| ZTE | Boost Indy B816 |
| ZTE | Boost Sola B111 |
| ZTE | Optus Blade A0605 |
| ZTE | Optus X Spirit 2 |
| ZTE | Telstra Blade Q Lux |
| ZTE | Telstra Chat 4g V830w |
| ZTE | Telstra Cruise T126 |
| ZTE | Telstra Evoke Plus 2 OctaCore Phone |
| ZTE | Telstra Lite 2 |
| ZTE | Telstra Lite F327S |
| ZTE | Telstra Smart Lite L111 |
| ZTE | Telstra Blade A3 |
If your phone isn't listed in the above table, it should be good to go (e.g. the iPhone 14 isn't listed as it works on the 4G and 5G network).
But just keep in mind that this isn't an exhaustive list so you may need to chat to your mobile provider, search online or contact the manufacturer for more information.
There's likely to be 2-3 million 3G-only devices that will be impacted by the forthcoming shutdown.
You may still be holding on to a very old flip, candybar or first-gen smartphone that is 3G only.
The same may apply to other tech such as security systems, medical alarms, EFTPOS machines or old smartwatches.
If they're still working, they've not been impacted by the telcos' redeployment of the 3G spectrum just yet.
You can do 2 things:
Make sure that you give yourself enough time to upgrade your tech before the 3G shutdown begins.
Moving to 4G will give you better speeds and network reliability as it'll be more efficient than 3G.
5G is still being rolled out but if it's accessible in your area you could in theory get speeds up to 1Gbps.
However, according to Ookla's July 2023 report, median 5G speeds in Australia hovered around the 213.36Mbps mark which is still pretty fast for most people.
If you don't want to spend $1,000+ upfront on one of the latest smartphones, we've collated 4G phones you can grab as an upgrade.
You can also check out our guide to the best budget phones in Australia to explore tech that may better suit your needs in 2023.
Another option if you have a higher budget is to consider getting a more recent iPhone or Samsung phone on a plan.
Newer flagship phones are equipped to operate on both the 4G and 5G network in Australia, so you'll be good for a long while.
Thankfully, no. Mobile plans already operate on the 4G network by default, switching to the 3G network only in areas with spotty coverage or if your phone isn't equipped to connect to the 4G network.
Once you have a 4G-enabled phone, your current mobile plan will naturally connect to the 4G network.
There's no set date for when the 4G network will be shut down but we can assume it'll be around for a few more years based on the introduction and closure of past and present networks.
We can expect 4G to be around for at least another decade if we average out how many years it took to shut down 2G and very soon, 3G.
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Australia's long-lived 2G network ceased operations in 2017, replaced by its 3G and 4G successors.