At Vodafone we are always working hard to bring you faster speeds and new features on our mobile network. Our 4G network now covers more than 24 million Australians and our state-of-the-art 5G network is stronger than ever. With superior speeds and greater connectivity available across these networks, we switched off our legacy 3G mobile network in January 2024.
As the 3G network has now switched off, if you’re a Vodafone customer or business reliant on the 3G network, it’s crucial to upgrade to a device compatible with 4G or 5G networks.
Vodafone switched off its 3G network in January 2024.
The vast majority of our customers do not have to do anything at all and will continue accessing our 4G and 5G networks as they do today.
A very small number of our customers have 3G-only handsets, tablets and connected devices and they will need to upgrade those devices before December 2023.
Some 4G handsets may also need a settings change to be able to continue to make and receive voice calls using our 4G network.
Mobile carriers around the world are closing down their 3G networks as more advanced 4G and 5G network services become widespread. Our 4G and 5G networks are more efficient at delivering greater speed and capacity, which means better service and experience for customers.
Similar shutdowns have happened before. All Australian mobile networks switched off their 2G networks a few years ago when they upgraded to 4G.
Vodafone’s licence to access 3G spectrum (the invisible electromagnetic frequencies that transmit mobile data) expires in mid-2024. Although most customers rarely needed to access 3G, we wanted to make sure customers had the appropriate notice and to offer support to those who needed assistance.
All 3G-only devices (including phones, tablets and mobile broadband devices) and in rare cases, some older 4G phones, will be affected.
Some older 4G phones that do not have a feature called 'VoLTE' (Voice over Long Term Evolution) will not be able to make and receive voice calls.
Please contact your device manufacturer or check for VoLTE capable devices if you are unsure of your device’s specific capabilities.
If you have a 3G-only phone then you will no longer be able to make calls, send texts or access the internet on your phone (compatible phones will still be able to make emergency 000 calls on other 3G networks when in coverage prior to their closure).
We recommend you upgrade your phone to a 4G or 5G compatible device that is to continue having mobile service. If you're ready to upgrade, call us today on 1555 to talk through your options.
If you have a device that is identified as not being able to make emergency 000 calls or you have received notification from us informing you that your device is not able to make emergency 000 calls, please refer to the “What about emergency calls?” section below.
Some customers may still have access to 3G in regional areas (not metropolitan areas) as we have a roaming agreement with other carriers that will come to an end in June. The roaming service is limited and customers are still required to upgrade their device to a 4G/5G compatible phone.
If you are an enterprise customer, please contact 135888 to discuss your individual business needs directly.
Our 4G coverage is similar in size and reach to our 3G coverage and our 5G coverage is growing every day. For more information, view our 4G and 5G coverage maps.
No. Other devices like tablets, mobile broadband modems, smart watches, some home security systems, and other connected devices might also be using 3G services. Please contact your device manufacturer or Vodafone if you are unsure of your device’s specific capabilities.
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is a feature that allows you to make voice calls using our 4G network. You might need to turn the VoLTE setting on. You can check your device and settings on our VoLTE support page.
Android devices
If you have a Samsung device, Voice over LTE should automatically be enabled. If you’ve previously disabled VoLTE and want to reenable it, or would like to check if it’s enabled on your Android device, please go to your Settings > Mobile Networks
Apple devices
If you have an Apple device iPhone 6 or later, Voice over LTE should be automatically enabled. To check this or manually enable, please go to Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data options > Voice and Data
The best way to recycle your old device is to take it to a Vodafone store. Our team will help you recycle it with Mobile Muster, the Australian mobile industry's official recycling scheme. For more information, view our Recycling support page.
Some devices are not compatible with Australian mobile networks and while they may be able to make standard calls on a 4G/5G network, they are not able to make emergency 000 calls on our network as our 3G network has now shut down. If you have such a device or have received a notification from us identifying that your device is unable to make emergency 000 calls, for safety reasons, you must urgently change to a compatible device otherwise you will not be able to make emergency 000 calls. See your compatible devices here. Need more info? Call us on 1555 or visit your local Vodafone store. Use our store locator to find your nearest store.