With 5G being demonstrated this month ahead of a trial during the Commonwealth Games next year, before starting to rollout in 2020, it’s time to shut down the 2G network. Telstra will shutter their 2G service on the 1st of December this year and is reaching out to existing customers on the 2G network to help transition them over.
Telstra is starting to post adverts on social media including Facebook advising customers of the impending closure of the network. The FAQ on the page advises details on when the closure will happen, what customers need to do with their phone.
The shutdown of the 2G network will affect a lot more than phones too. Many medical alarms, security systems, vehicle trackers and other M2M (Machine2Machine) devices affected by the shutdown as well. Telstra is advising users with these systems to plan ahead for the closure
Telstra advises that customers with a device only operating on the 2G network will need to:
- Change the settings on your device
- Upgrade your SIM
- Upgrade your mobile device
- In some instances, you may need to upgrade both your device and SIM card
While their FAQ page is recommending customers visit a Telstra store or Telstra Shop Online to see the latest Pre-Paid and Mobiles on a Plan, if you’re firing up a 2G mobile you may be getting a text message that reads something like this:
Hi. 2G network is closing 1 Dec. Please provide your address by XXXXX at telstra.com/2gupgrade(telstra.com) or call 1800332194 and we’ll send you a free mobile & SIM.
The SMS will give you 2 weeks to respond to the SMS with this offer, and though it’s not specified which phone is being offered to customers gratis, a user on forum site Ozbargain has advised that the free ‘Care Pack’ includes a Telstra Cruise and $29 voucher.
The Telstra Cruise is a typical ‘dumb’ phone, made by ZTE and whitelabelled as a Telstra branded device. It comes with a 2″ display, 0.3MP rear camera and 0.128GB of internal memory (it has a microSD card slot though), still, it’s better than a slap in the face.
While Telstra is the first off the block to close their 2G network, they’re not the only ones closing it down. Optus isn’t far away previously announcing that they will be closing their 2G network in April 2017. Vodafone hasn’t announced any time frame for closing their 2G network at this stage.
There’s three months to go until Telstra closes down the network and there will be quite a few people who will still be caught short by this closure. While Telstra has started small with social media advertising, you may find some TV advertising going ahead in the coming months.
Do you, or anyone you know of still use a 2G only phone?
0.128GB of memory. Because in 2016 we can’t bring ourselves to measure memory in MB.
I thought the Commonwealth Games were in 2018? Or did I misinterpret the first sentence?
So they are advertising on Social Media to reach out o people who are doggedly hanging on to 2G dumb phones. They really did not think that one through. The SMS approach should work though.
not really, My Grandparents only just upgraded their 2G phone (initiated by me) they dont know how to read SMS. I would think most people on 2G would be in the same boat.
I bet that phone’s got amazing battery life, though!
I gave one of these phones to my son when he went off to school camp. It was cheap and I didn’t care if he lost it. He was away at camp for a week. At the end of the week, the phone still had 50% charge left. And he did go camping in the bush so he had no ability to charge the phone. The phone is now sitting in our cupboard waiting for the next camping trip.