It has been more than 80 days since Telstra and Optus flicked the switch on the 3G mobile network. Hundreds of regional and remote Australians say they can no longer rely on the network and struggle to make calls.

In short:

Regional and rural Australians say their ability to make phone calls has dramatically reduced since the 3G network was switched off in October.

Telstra and Optus shut down 3G to boost the 4G and 5G networks, claiming customer coverage would benefit as a result.

What’s next:

The federal government says there may be a need for regulatory intervention if the situation does not improve.

  • Salvo@aussie.zoneEnglish
    1·
    9 days ago

    …And the governments Knee-jerk legislation was due to the Telcos not investing enough in redundancy.

    When a little bit of a wind can bring down the mobile network, maybe it is time to build more cell towers and make sure they have a stable battery backup.

    I had a family member recently purchase an imported Lawn Mower and its Wireless features bought down his local cell network.

    IANA Telecommunications Engineer, but making critical Infrastructure secure and redundant should be a high priority.

    The Mirboo North outage and the mower issue only effected one of the 3 mobile network providers; starting with O and ending in S.