Up to 150,000 customers could lose access to crucial services after 3G shutdown, Optus says

Up to 150,000 Australians could lose access to triple zero and other crucial services on the Optus network alone when telcos shut down their 3G signals in the coming months.

Executives from Optus, Telstra and TPG fronted a Senate inquiry this morning to answer questions about the looming shutdown.

While the number of people still using handsets that won't be able to make emergency calls without the 3G networks has dropped significantly from almost 750,000 in March, the telcos said it would be inevitable that some people would be impacted.

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In the case of Australia's second-largest mobile provider, it said up to 150,000 could be left without access to critical functions like triple zero calls, online banking and telehealth services after the shutdown in September.

"The migration experience that we've had to date is that you have to do two things: create awareness and remove barriers for customers to act, but then also prepare for the fact that some will not," Optus head of new products Harvey Wright told the committee.

"It's just human nature...

"We're still reducing the number of customers (impacted), but it could be in the order of 100,000 to 150,000."

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Telstra didn't provide an estimate of how many of its customers will be similarly impacted when its 3G network closes next month.

"We do know that some customers won't take action," executive Justine Rowe said.

"We're hoping that we'll get more and more down. We don't have an estimate of the actual numbers that will be left on our network at the moment because we are planning to get that to as close to zero as possible.

"But we know it won't be zero, so there will be customers that choose not to take action."

Both networks have been encouraging customers to check if their phones and other devices will remain operational, and replace them if they rely on 3G for calls or other functionality.

Both Telstra and Optus say they have provided free handsets to customers in hardship or other vulnerable circumstances.

Anyone on any network can text "3" to 3498 to check if their phone will be affected by the 3G shutdown.

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