Customer safety is our Priority

Customers expect that they will be able to call emergency services in times of need. There are rules in place to ensure that mobile networks and Australian handsets support Triple Zero calls. The Optus network supports emergency calling and we want to ensure that handsets connecting to our network also support emergency calling. As a result, we will be implementing new processes for handsets that can connect to our network.

Network decommissioning

We continue to invest in the telecommunications network to improve the capacity, speed and reliability to increasing number of Australians, and to bring customers innovative ways to connect and use their services. This means that on occasions, we must decommission some of the oldest network technologies to be able to upgrade them and improve them for our customers and the broader communities.

When a network technology is decommissioned (ie. 3G network shutdown, and others), it may impact specific devices, particularly older models, or even newer models that aren't configured to the Australian market. As part of our policy, when this occurs, Optus will communicate to customers that are impacted and will provide them with options to have a safe and optimal network experience.

Handsets that cannot call Triple Zero

It is a requirement that all handsets sold in Australia must support Triple Zero emergency services.¹ There are some older handsets, and handsets that aren't configured to the Australian market, that do not meet these standards (Triple Zero Impacted devices). Following the shutdown of the 3G network in Australia, Triple Zero Impacted handsets will be unable to make calls to emergency services. These mobile handsets pose a risk to customer safety because they will be unable to connect to emergency services post 3G shutdown. This risk is particularly hard to detect for 4G/5G devices, as they may continue working after 3G Shutdown but won't be able to connect to emergency services when needed.

To reduce the risk to customer's safety, Optus network will no longer support new Triple Zero Impacted devices, they won't work on the Optus network. This approach will apply to Triple Zero Impacted handsets connecting to new and existing services from September 2024.

In addition, from October 2024, any Triple Zero Impacted device already on the Optus network will stop working. For more information on our mobile handset safety policy, go to optus.com.au/3gmobilesafety .


1 Handsets imported and sold in Australia must meet AS/CA S042, which requires handset to support emergency calling to Triple Zero.