Update: Please see James' reddit post and petition (and please sign his) for greater detail and regular updates;

reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/1gbo8xn/psa_3g_shutdown_258000_4g5g_phones_to_be_blocked/

petition - https://www.change.org/p/stop-telco-4g-5g-device-blocking-volte-restrictions-australia-s-3g-shutdown

All users of the Telstra mobile network; including Telstra customers, MVNO (Aldi, Belong, Boost, Woolworths, Exetel, Lycamobile, Mate, More, Numobile, Superloop, Tangerine, etc.) customers and international roaming partners/visitors that do not have a specific Telstra-supported phone will be affected.

These users will be unable to make or receive calls (including emergency calls) after the Telstra 3G network shut-down in August 2024 [since postponed until 28 Oct 24], regardless of whether their device is capable and compatible with all VoLTE (4G Calling) requirements.

This is due to Telstra having IMS Registration restrictions for VoLTE on their network to only phone models that Telstra sell or have sold, but Optus and Vodafone do not apply such restrictions so you can make and receive calls over LTE (4G) unaffected on their mobile networks with 3G shut-down.

Telstra refuse to remove these IMS Registration restrictions for VoLTE (4G Calling) so if you have a capable phone but it was never a model that Telstra sold then Telstra will prevent you from accessing their 4G network for making or receiving any calls after the 3G shut-down, with their solution being to purchase a new Telstra phone.

Unfortunately; many users of the Telstra mobile network (their own customers, MVNO customers and international roaming partners/visitors) do not have the option to purchase a new Telstra-supported phone (and should not be made to do so), or don't have the option to switch to Optus or Vodafone (or one of their MVNOs such as Amaysim or TPG) where they would be able to make and receive calls without restriction after their 3G network shutdowns so would be forced to purchase a new Telstra phone.

This is monopoly-like, greedy behaviour from Telstra in seeking to take advantage of Australian consumers in a drastic situation to gain profits from expecting us to purchase new phones from them, and will have a wide-spread impact (potentially severe for those that will be unable to make emergency calls) after the Telstra 3G network shut-down so requires awareness and intervention.

Please sign and share this petition to urge Telstra to remove their IMS Registration restrictions for VoLTE on their network before they shut-down their 3G network.

Update: The action required from Telstra is not so much as "removing restrictions", but rather adding support for the GSMA's Global/Open VoLTE configuration on their network (as Optus and Vodafone do).

- Update: Telstra have apparently recently added the global/open support, however; are still applying a whitelist approach rather than a blacklist. What this means is that fully-compatible devices aren’t supported by default, so  they need to be added to a whitelist to be allowed to use the network rather than being blocked (blacklisted) if they’re not compatible. There are still many issues with this approach across the carriers, where full-compatible devices are being blocked but non-compatible (or partially-compatible) devices are being allowed to connect when they should actually be blocked - this has been evidenced through the emergency call failures leading to deaths...

(Optus and Vodafone added as Decision-Makers for this petition)

With the transition from 3G to 4G, too much is regulated via software rather than on hardware capabilities. Further to the inability to access VoLTE (4G Calling) with compatible devices, VoWiFi (WiFi Calling) is (and seems will remain) unsupported for fully-compatible devices that weren’t sold by the carriers.

This is all more than confusing, challenging and dangerous enough for Australian residents. I can’t imagine how it would be for tourists or immigrants, especially if their English isn’t strong - they’ll often have no choice other than to go into one of the carriers’ (or partners’) shops and buy a new phone.

Please sign and follow James’ petition and updates, and please submit complaints to the regulators under James’ advice there;

https://www.change.org/p/stop-telco-4g-5g-device-blocking-volte-restrictions-australia-s-3g-shutdown

Thank you to everyone that’s following and supporting James, and thank you especially to James himself!