3G shutdown risking lives, inquiry hears

Human lives will be at risk when the 3G telecommunications network is shutdown if people can’t contact emergency services, a NSW Senate inquiry has been told.

There is also a threat that 3G-reliant medical devices will stop operating after Telstra switches off the last 3G network operating in Australia on 31 August.

These were just some of the concerns put forward at the NSW Senate into the 3G-shutdown, which held its first public hearing in Coomera on Tuesday, and closed-door hearing in Canberra on Wednesday.

The hearings featured executives from major telcos Telstra, Optus and TPG/Vodafone, as well as government and health industry representatives.

Emergency calls could be disrupted

The biggest fear expressed was that the millions of Australians living in remote and rural areas would not be able to make emergency calls due to not being able to access 4G and 5G networks – even if they have compatible devices.

James Pickens, chief technology officer at the NSW Telco Authority, told the hearing that telcos must guarantee there will be no disruption to emergency service numbers when the shutdown occurs.

“If people can’t call triple-zero because either they’re using a handset that can’t do it or they’ve lost coverage because a 3G footprint no longer exists, then lives are at stake,” he said.

Mr Pickens opposed the hard 31 August deadline, arguing that the shutdown should have been done in stages. If continued emergency service numbers can’t be guaranteed, he says, then the shutdown should be put on hold.

“Our preference is for a phased approach to the 3G shutdown,” he said.

“This would ensure the coverage concerns and transition issues are closely monitored and managed on a location-by-location basis.”

Medical devices could stop working

Besides making emergency calls, the inquiry also heard that many life-saving medical devices – including insulin pumps and pacemakers – may also stop working when the 3G network goes down.

Susi Tegan, chief executive of the National Rural Health Alliance, told the hearing the true number of 3G-reliant medical devices in Australia is unknown and the full scale of the problem won’t be clear until the shutdown happens.

“The devices are particularly vulnerable because … there is very little conversation between the telecommunications sector and the device companies,” she says.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) also expressed its concerns, saying it relies on the 3G network for telehealth appointments, security cameras and duress alarms for doctors.

RFDS chief information officer Ryan Klose explained to the hearing that trying to locate and replace every piece of 3G-enabled hardware ahead of the shutdown would be next to impossible.

“There are a lot of devices out there which are used for critical situations that simply will not be (noticed) until it’s too late.”

Telcos say they’re doing what they can

Despite widespread information campaigns from major telcos, government figures show there are still around 200,000 active mobile phones that rely on the 3G network.

Both Telstra and Optus have been giving away free 4G-capable mobile phones for customers facing financial hardship, and are offering discounts for everyone else.

But they admit that despite all efforts, there will inevitably be some phones or devices that aren’t replaced in time. Optus chief executive Harvey Wright says he thinks as many as 150,000 people will be impacted by the shutdown.

“The migration experience 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,.

“It’s just human nature.”

Are you still using a 3G mobile phone? Are there any health devices you’re concerned about? Let us know in the comments section below.

Also read: Telstra giving away 12,000 4G-capable phones