We're switching off our 3G network from
28 October 2024
Act now,
don't delay.
What’s changing?
As we improve our network, sometimes we need to say goodbye to older technology.
From September 2024, we'll be switching off our 3G technology and repurposing it to boost the capacity, speed, and reliability of our 4G network and rollout 5G to even more Australians.
Important information about emergency calls to Triple Zero (000)
From September 2024, if your device is reliant on 3G for emergency calls, you won't be able to make an emergency call to Triple Zero (000). To ensure you still have access, we strongly recommend you upgrade your device as soon as possible if you have received an SMS, email, or letter from us.
What do I need to do?
From September 2024, 3G services will no longer be available on the Optus network. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you through this change.
1. We'll be reaching out to customers who we believe are impacted by these changes. You can also check whether your mobile phone is impacted at any time by texting the number '3' to '3498'.
2. If you receive an email or SMS, you will need a new device to stay connected.
3. We’re here to help. Contact us today to discuss your options. You can call us on 1300 303 375 or use the chat icon on our website.
Please note, it’s not just 3G devices that will be impacted, some recent 4G devices may also be impacted including models that may have been
purchased overseas or imported which aren’t configured for Australian networks or do not support 4G VoLTE.
The different types of impacts to your service may include the inability to:
- Make calls
- Send or receive messages
- Make Triple Zero calls on the Optus network
- Use data or connect to the internet
From September 2024, we'll be switching off our 3G network. This allows us to offer a better experience for our 4G services, as well as support the growth of 5G technology.
3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. “G” stands for Generation and the higher the number, the newer and more efficient the technology.
Each generation of technology uses radio frequency spectrum bands. Mobile phones and devices use these spectrum bands to communicate with the mobile network.
As technology evolves, people are using 3G less and less. That’s why we’ve made the decision to switch off 3G so we can improve our 4G network and boost our 5G rollout.
From September 2024 you'll no longer be able to use our 3G network. Over the coming weeks, we’ll contact you directly if we believe you have an impacted device.
From September 2024, if your device doesn’t work with our 4G network or relies on 3G network for emergency calls, then you won't be able to make an emergency call to Triple Zero (000).
From June 2024, as all other major Telco providers are expected to have 3G networks switched off, if you’re in an area not covered by the Optus 3G network and your device is reliant on 3G for emergency calls, you will not be able to make a call to Triple Zero (000) from this date.
To ensure you still have access, we strongly recommend you upgrade your device.
Note: If your device is capable of supporting 4G emergency calls, the above statement is not valid, as you may have 4G coverage.
Note: Unless your call is for a legitimate emergency, DO NOT call Triple Zero (000) to test your device.
If you're currently using a personal medical device or security device that relies on the 3G network, then it will stop working from September 2024. We recommend you urgently check with the device manufacturer and upgrade your affected device (with Optus or another provider) as soon as possible.
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is the technology that enables voice calls to be made on a 4G network.
If your device uses 3G only for voice and doesn’t support VoLTE/4G voice calling, you won’t be able to make or receive voice calls from September 2024. If you receive an email, letter, or SMS about changes to our 3G network, we strongly recommend you upgrade your device.
Compatible 4G Apple iPhones:
- Go to your phone’s Settings
- Select Mobile
- Select Mobile Data Options
- Select Voice & Data
- Enable 4G (and on some devices enable VoLTE). On iPhone 12 models or later please select enable 5G
Other VoLTE compatible devices:
- Refer to your user manual on how to check that VoLTE is enabled as instructions may be different for various device models and types.
However, the first step is to make sure your device’s operating system is up to date. Once you’ve updated it, VoLTE should be automatically enabled (sometimes this can take up to 4 hours).
For help and technical assistance, please refer to your user manual, contact your device manufacturer or call us on 1300 303 375.
No, you won’t lose your mobile number, as long as you upgrade to a 4G and/or 5G compatible device (with Optus or another provider) and retain your number.
Unfortunately, mobile broadband services are different. You can upgrade your mobile broadband service to another mobile broadband service and keep your number, however, it can’t be transferred to a mobile phone plan.
We'll be reaching out to customers who we believe may have a device impacted by these changes. If you receive an email, letter or SMS, we strongly recommend you upgrade your device.
We’ve listed some commonly used devices below that may be affected by the change. However, this isn’t a list of all the devices as there are thousands of different devices, models and variants.
There are thousands of different devices, models, and variants (including devices not sold by Optus) that rely on the 3G network, including some recent 4G devices. We'll be reaching out to customers who we believe may have a device impacted by these changes.
You may need a new SIM card when you upgrade your device. Many 3G dependent devices use a mini/micro SIM and the majority of 4G devices require a nano SIM.
