MINISTER ADMITS 370,000 4G DEVICES STILL AT RISK IN 3G SHUTDOWN
CLAIMED IN MARCH THAT SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF ISSUE
With less than three months until the 3G shutdown, the Communications Minister has today admitted there are still 370,000 4G devices in use that will not be able to make Triple Zero calls when the 3G networks are turned off.
The 3G switch-off will occur in just 88 days, when Telstra and Optus both switch off their networks at the end of August.
The Communications Minister today told ABC Gippsland there were still 370,000 4G devices that won’t be able to connect to 000 when the switch-off happens.
“The fact there are still 370,000 4G devices in use that will not be able to make Triple Zero calls when 3G is shut down is a shocking indictment on this Minister,” Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said.
“People were warning the Minister a year ago that this was going to be a problem with some 4G phones and yet she claims she only found out about the issue in March this year.
“Senate Estimates heard in recent days that an IT and networking expert had written to the Minister about the problem with some 4G phones in June last year, but he was fobbed off to the department.
“Now, with the 3G network clock counting down to zero in the coming months, the Minister is desperately trying to play catch up, with hundreds of thousands of devices still at risk.
“The Minister was again today talking about the option of using her powers to delay the switch off. But we wouldn’t be in this situation if the Government had actively been dealing with this a year ago when they were warned.”