Telecommunications Services Industry

It's been one week since the 3G network was switched off in Western Australia and farmers in the middle of the grain harvest say connectivity has suffered.

First Nations artist Jacinta Numina-Waugh speaks out after she was allegedly subject to unconscionable sales conduct by Optus that has landed the telco in court. 

The telco is hit with a multi-million-dollar fine after thousands of customers were unable to call triple-0 during last year's unprecedented network outage. 

Australians using 4G- or 5G-compatible phones say telcos and retailers are not doing enough to protect them from being left without critical access to mobile networks.

A web of 'delusional' regulatory decisions has essentially turned some perfectly good phones into e-waste.

Vodafone, Telstra and Optus have officially closed up shop on Australia's 3G network. Here's what will stop working from Monday.

From today, the last remnants of Australia's 3G mobile network has been switched off. Phones using 3G connectivity will no longer work but the closure can also affect health services and farm equipment. CEO of the National Rural Health Alliance, Susi Tegen is worried those in remote areas, as well and the elderly and people living with disabilities, who are the most likely to be affected are also those least likely to be aware of the transition.

There are concerns thousands of phones, medical devices, mobile phone boosters in cars, location devices in trucks and farm equipment may stop working. 

Those who have looked for a better deal by purchasing a refurbished phone may find it will not work after the 3G shutdown.

Around 60,000 devices including mobile phones, medical devices and alarms will not work beyond October 28 when Optus and Telstra shut down their 3G networks and the government is urging people to be prepared. 

Residents in WA's southern Wheatbelt have been left dismayed after Telstra told them to buy more communications services to avoid future blackouts.

Consumers and industry stakeholders are calling for better regulation of phone companies after family members of deceased customers are repeatedly contacted – in some cases for years after a person's death.

With an outage leaving internet and mobile services cut for more than a week, locals have been commuting to nearby towns to complete work calls and emails.

A Chinese national charged over an elaborate phishing scam involving millions of fraudulent text messages claiming to be from agencies including Medicare, Centrelink, and Australia Post was trying to avoid detection, a court has heard.

Optus failed to provide honest and credible communication during last year's phone outage, and should be forced to provide fair compensation in the event of another, a Senate committee has found.

The telco says emergency calls from public phones have risen by about 20 per cent, and the anonymity they provide for people experiencing mental health crises and domestic violence could be a driving factor.

Farmers and regional shire groups are worried the shutdown of 3G next month will leave them without a phone signal, but Telstra says 4G coverage will be equivalent to the 20-year-old 3G footprint.

The use of pagers to attack members of the militant group Hezbollah has renewed focus on a device which stopped being widely used years ago. 

Taxpayers and telcos spend nearly $300 million a year to guarantee access to landlines and payphones, even though fewer and fewer people are using them. 

Regional residents are concerned the existing 4G network may put people in danger and won't be reliable once 3G is shutdown.