Many owners of 4G mobile phones found themselves without any service at all following the recent shutdown of the 3G network due to a Labor Government determination that was never publicly announced.
Despite both Telstra and Optus communicating widely that non-VoLTE compatible 4G phones would not be able to make emergency calls with the 3G phase-out, Senate Estimates has revealed that consumers were not advised that their phones would be blocked altogether leaving users with no calling or text capabilities at all.
Following questions from Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Senator Perin Davey, it was revealed between August 21, when the Minister directed ACMA to make a determination to block non-compatible phones, and October 25, when the ACMA website was updated just three days before the shutdown, there was no public announcement warning people their phones would be blocked.
“Users were completely unaware that they would lose all calling ability—including emergency 000 calls,” Senator Davey said.
Representatives of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said the onus was on individual telcos to alert their customers of potential connectivity issues and advise upgrades.
However, Senator Davey challenged this approach, arguing the Government intervention should have been accompanied by a public announcement to prioritise public awareness and safety.
“Imagine the shock for a person who, despite following telco notifications, despite perhaps being aware their phone couldn’t make emergency calls but thought they would still be able to call friends and family, suddenly couldn’t call anyone because the Government blocked their phone,” Senator Davey said.
“Relying solely on telecommunication providers to warn the public while not issuing any Government alerts created an unacceptable safety gap.”
Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said the Albanese Government failed to tell thousands of Australians that they were about to shut off their phones.
“The decision was made by the Communications Minister and she should have been the one to warn people of her plans to switch off their devices,” Mr Coleman said.
“Instead Minister Rowland hand-balled the task onto telcos who were given only a few days to try to notify their customers.
“The Government has long-known about the problems of 4G phones not connecting to triple-zero, and their handling of this issue has been a slow-moving train wreck for too long.
“This was another bad news story which the Albanese Government has tried to bury, leaving phone users across Australia with phones that were cut-off without notice.”
The Government’s mandate, which directed carriers to block 4G devices unable to make emergency calls over the 4G network after the 3G shutdown, aimed to prevent situations where users unknowingly retained or purchased phones incapable of connecting to 000.
Senator Davey emphasised that while network providers have responsibilities, the decision to disable these phones altogether ultimately rested with Minister Rowland and it was her duty to inform the public.
“It is agreed that people should expect their phones to be able to connect to emergency services, but they also expect their phones to work,” Senator Davey said.
“The Minister’s involvement in public communication should have been a given, not an afterthought.”