3G Shutdown Impact Briefings Created Between 1 January 2024 And 26 February 2026: Internal Reports Or Correspondence Regarding The Impact Of The 3G Network Shutdown On 'actual Versus Predicted'…

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 10 Jul 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

This FOI release contains internal Department correspondence from January 2025 regarding talking points for media engagement about the 3G network shutdown impact. The document shows departmental staff drafting holding lines to address coverage gaps in rural areas, specifically referencing the Alma Park region. Key points communicated include: the 3G shutdown was a commercial operator decision to enhance 4G/5G capacity; Telstra and Optus committed to maintaining 4G coverage in areas previously served by 3G within published coverage zones; however, they could not guarantee coverage in areas outside published zones that previously received "fortuitous" coverage; predictive coverage maps indicated some 4G availability in Alma Park; and various technical factors (device type, terrain, vegetation, distance from towers) affect coverage regardless of network type. The document indicates Telstra sought specific location details from affected customers to assess network performance.