Telstra to KILL 2G network by end of 2016

Telstra has announced, with an ever-so-modern blog post, that it will kill off its 2G network by the end of 2016. Telstra says 2G traffic now accounts for less than one per cent of its traffic, and that it stopped selling 2G handsets a couple of years ago. The carrier's group MD for networks Mike Wright says he can't imagine …

[John Tserkezis]

"By 2016, you'd imagine just about every mobile phone owner will get that message. You'd also imagine that Telstra, of all companies, should be able to find a way to reach its customers to tell them the news."

Really? No, really? Do you really think, going on past experience, that Telstra is going to do any more than merely lift a finger to let their users know?

[MrDamage]

Bollocks to buying a new phone.

"Telstra says 2G traffic now accounts for less than one per cent of its traffic.."

Given that with 3g/4g, they only claim to cover 99% of the Australian population, maybe they should increase that number to 100% before killing off 2g.

Not to mention I have lost count of the amount of times Ive been forced to clock my phone back to GSM in order to boost the signal enough to be able to make phone calls* when in remote or regional areas.

*Sure, I can still make phone calls when on 3g/4g, but they sound something like;

"Hel....I'.......ing.....ut......serv.....re.......oh fo.....cks sa....."

[jjcoolaus]

They will send SMS

Previous communications, such as the shutdown of the 3GIS network it purchased from 3, was done over SMS to affected phone services and this will be no different.

Also, Telstra's 3G network maps tend to be a bit conservative. A "blue tick" phone (that is one recommended for rural coverage) can often get reception on areas where the map shows they should have none.

There are not very many areas where 2G at 900mhtz works but 3G at 850mhtz does not. For the less than 0.5% of the population that might apply to, a few extra towers can be built, or new antennas added to existing sites.

This shutdown is nowhere near as significant as the shut down of CDMA was, or the shut down of AMPS (analogue) before that.

There is a 3rd option not mentioned in the article - those affected could move to Optus. Optus has the largest 2G network in Australia - it is geographically much bigger than Telstra's because since 2005 Telstra has been pouring all new money into 3G and Telstra's 3G network now covers over 2.3 million square kilometres.

[Greg Alexander]

Re: They will send SMS

It would be good if all 3 networks could agree on keeping a single 2G channel open, but I doubt it's worth it in the end. In the meantime, roaming to Optus 2G does make sense if Optus is willing, though it might be cheaper to buy the last 2G customers a new phone.

I'm more interested in what Telstra will do with their 900Mhz. I presume it'll go LTE-A though handsets will be rarer. Vodafone and Optus both use 3G 900Mhz in some areas which is common in handsets.

[ops4096]

Ve haf vays of making you our spy

In news just to hand the government has passed legislation requiring all good citizens to carry government data harvesting terminals at all times. For their own safety and the greater good only of course.

[Anonymous Coward]

Mobile EFTPOS terminals

There's still quite a significant number of 2G mobile EFTPOS terminals kicking around across a number of banks. I guess there'll be a fairly significant number of upgrades going on around the place in the next 12 months.