It has been more than 80 days since Telstra and Optus flicked the switch on the 3G mobile network. Hundreds of regional and remote Australians say they can no longer rely on the network and struggle to make calls.

In short:

Regional and rural Australians say their ability to make phone calls has dramatically reduced since the 3G network was switched off in October.

Telstra and Optus shut down 3G to boost the 4G and 5G networks, claiming customer coverage would benefit as a result.

What’s next:

The federal government says there may be a need for regulatory intervention if the situation does not improve.

  • SalvoEnglish
    2·
    17 hours ago

    It is a shame that there are no other premium Android Phones that are just a handheld internet communicator. Samsungs are so full of corruptive “I want to be iPhone” bloatware that they make the Chinese phones look appealing, the Chinese phones are so full of nationalist spyware that they make Linux Phones look like a valid option (even though they are also manufactured by Chinese companies) Xperia is also full of their proprietary software, Nokia is probably the best of a bad bunch.

    • pHr34kY@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      17 hours ago

      They’re all too bloated. I would not purchase a handset unless I could install GrapheneOS or LineageOS on it.