“U.S. network operators are also discontinuing their 3G networks (in December) and plan to discontinue their remaining 2G networks as well, so it’s doubly important to check before you travel.”
Affected mobile phones and gadgets
If your smartphone is more than 10 years old, you may need to buy a new one.
Apple released its first 4G device, the iPhone 5, in 2012, and Samsung released its first 4G model in 2011.
Some cheaper models continued to be 3G-only for several years after that.
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Several online sites let you check whether your particular model of phone, tablet, or smartwatch is 3G-only. Spark has one here.
Australia’s 3G shutdown will also impact devices such as Amazon’s Kindle that use 3G to connect to the internet.
Kindle was upgraded to 4G in 2021.
New Zealand 3G service outage
Spark, One NZ and 2degrees have announced they will shut down their 3G mobile networks by the end of next year.
“Third generation (3G) networks were introduced over a decade ago and have been switched off across the world,” Brislen said.
New Zealand’s closure would bring it in line with South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, South Africa, India, much of China and much of Europe.
Manufacturers of internet-connected “Internet of Things” (IoT) gadgets, such as Eroad, which developed a telematic tracker for trucks, are upgrading customers with older 3G connections to 4G kits, while Bluecurrent (formerly known as Vector Smart metering operators such as Metering have had upgrade projects underway for several years. In 2021, Ventia signed a Bluecurrent contract to upgrade 950,000 meters to 4G.
In Australia, Telstra has warned that households should also check their personal emergency alarms, Eftpos terminals and fire and burglar alarms in case they stop working after 3G is shut down.
Chris Keall is a member of the Herald’s business team based in Auckland. He joined the Herald in 2018 and serves as technology editor and senior business writer.
