Telstra Says Goodbye to 2G

Telstra Says Goodbye to 2G

Telstra has announced they will be discontinuing their 2G (GSM) 900MHz network.

This will most likely affect a large number of Telstra customers. If you are using SIM cards/or devices that only operate on the 2G network, they will stop working on the 1st of December 2016.

Your service using 2G will be affected

If you have a service using 2G it will need to be upgraded to operate on 3G or 4G technologies. At a minimum, your device and SIM card must support 3G 850MHz services.

Why is Telstra discontinuing their 2G network?

Telstra’s 2G network has operated for more than 20 years, and technology has rapidly evolved during that time. Devices have become smarter and customers have demanded faster speeds.

This has led to a better experience provided through 3G and 4G technologies. These changes in technology have contributed to Telstra’s decision to discontinue the 2G network.

What do I need to do?

If you want to continue using services which are currently on the 2G network it is important to act now. To minimise disruption to the service it needs to have its technology upgraded before the 1st of December 2016.

Speak with us about your existing services, we are here to help.

What will happen if I don’t take action?

Any services currently using 2G technologies will stop working on the 1st of December 2016.

How to adjust your device’s network carrier settings

This may vary according to your device type. The network carrier settings can be changed for most devices in the “Settings” option. We recommend you refer to your device user manual for instructions, which should be available at the manufacturer’s website.

When you adjust your device’s network carrier settings, please make sure they are set to access the Telstra Mobile Network using 3G or 4G technologies.

How do I know which services are using 2G technologies?

Telstra will be contacting all customers who are still using 2G technologies. In their communication they will state the service number, the device make and model and the IMEI number. An IMEI is a device serial number used by networks to identify the device.

You may need to use Telstra’s communication to show you what IMEIs to look for when locating devices.

Where do I find the IMEI on a device?

For a phone you can simply dial *#06# and press send/make a call. Your device’s IMEI number should appear on the screen. If it doesn’t appear, it is often on the sticker behind the battery in the device.

For mobile broadband devices you can look on the back of the device or behind its battery.

For tablet devices the IMEI can usually be found under General Settings/About. Consult your device manual for detailed instructions.

For Machine to Machine (M2M) devices you can look at the back of the device or behind its battery.

What will I need to do?

In many cases the service will simply need a SIM replacement to a newer 3G/4G compatible SIM card. In cases whereby the device itself only supports 2G then the device will need to be replaced, as well as a SIM replacement for the service to a 3G/4G compatible SIM card.

Will the service number or plan change?

No. Mobile service numbers will remain the same and no changes will be made to plans. Changing to the 3G and 4G networks will be faster however so you may want to speak with us about new plans.

If you have any further questions or would like us to clarify any of these details please feel free to contact us at Phonenomena on 1300 721 281.