Telcos to block phones that don’t link to triple zero on Monday

Indigenous customers with old 3G phones have two days to upgrade as a new Federal communications law comes into effect on October 28.

Telstra and Optus will begin shutting off 3G from Monday, having first flagged the closure five years ago.

There are believed to be about 60,000 of old handsets still in circulation – many in regional and remote areas – that are not enabled with a technology called Voice over LTE.

This means the phones – usually bought second-hand – use 4G for regular calls and texts, but bump emergency calls to 3G.

There have been fears users would not realise there was an issue until they needed to call the emergency line post-3G.

Seven people in Western Australia have complained to the state’s consumer watchdog about spending a total of more than $4000 on obsolete refurbished phones.

“While refurbished phones may be a budget-friendly option, we strongly urge consumers to be cautious before buying one and ensure the retailer they’re purchasing from is supplying Australian models,” WA’s consumer protection commissioner Trish Blake said.

The 3G shutdown will begin in Tasmania on Monday, with the rest of Australia to follow by November 4, a Telstra public statement said.

The health department has urged users of devices such as medical alarms and health monitors to check whether they are 4G compatible.

Farmers and rural Australians have also called on the telcos and the Federal government to ensure their mobile service isn’t worse post-3G.