Responding to customer concerns and the need for additional time to adapt, Telstra has decided to postpone the planned shutdown of its 3G network by two months. The company is extending the deadline until August the end of the.
These changes are intended to give customers more opportunities to upgrade their equipment. The decision puts the closure dates for Telstra more in line with those of another telecommunications giant, Optus. Although 3G shutdown dates have been set for a long time, public attention has recently focused. Especially on the role of 3G in emergency calls.
A major issue arises from the fact that some older 4G handsets lack support for voice-over-LTE technology. Consequently rely on 3G for emergency calls and if they will be locked out coming threatens the ability of these customers to contact emergency services, until They won’t get new handsets.
Telstra estimates that more than 100,000 handsets need to be refurbished to ensure uninterrupted service.
CEO Vicki Brady confirmed that customers unaware of the need to renew could text ‘3’ to 3498 for clarity on the status of their device. “If your handset needs an update, we’ll let you know,” Brady assured.
Additionally, Telstra intends to notify affected customers via ongoing call messages in the near future. “Customers who have not yet upgraded will receive a brief reminder message on their affected mobile when making an outbound call, which acts as a prompt to take action,” Brady explained. “This pre-recorded message will continue until the required improvements are completed.”
In addition to mobile handsets, some medical devices and other hardware depend on 3G networks from EFTPOS terminals to agriculture.
