Optus is set to progressively close down its 2G mobile network with the shutdown of the old network to be staggered over five months.
The closure of Optus’ old 2G network starts next week with services in the Northern Territory and Western Australia to be shut off from April 3.
And Optus 2G customers in South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, New south Wales, Tasmania and the ACT will see their 2G services cease in August.
The Optus 2G closure follows Telstra’s shutdown of its 2G network late last year, with Vodafone to shut the door on 2G services nationally in September.
{loadposition peter}Optus’ 2G is scheduled to be fully shutdown by the end of August and the telco says review options to re-allocate some of the spectrum to improve customer experience and mobile services.
“This is the right time for us to step away from 2G. Customer levels using our 2G mobile network, which was first established in 1993, have significantly decreased in recent years as greater smartphone usage and advances in 4G technologies drive customer preferences for mobile data and faster speeds,” says Dennis Wong, Managing Director of Networks at Optus.
The shutdown of 2G GSM networks in Australia will also affect Virgin Mobile and Optus wholesale service providers using the networks.
“Our priority has been to prepare our customers for this change and ensure they have sufficient time to upgrade to newer devices. This has involved a range of letters, emails and texts sent over the past 11 months to help them with the transition as much as possible,” Wong said.