OPTUS 2G NETWORK TO BEGIN SHUT DOWN FROM NEXT WEEK

Originally announced in 2015, the closure will be staggered to ensure a smooth transition for affected customers.

Optus will commence closing its 2G mobile network next week with services in NT and WA to be shut off from April 3.

Closure of the 2G mobile network will be staggered with all 2G services scheduled to shut down by August.

The closure, which was originally announced in August 2015, will allow Optus to review options to re-allocate some of this spectrum to improve customer experience and mobile services.

Dennis Wong, Managing Director of Networks at Optus said, “This is the right time for us to step away from 2G. Customer levels using our 2G mobile network, which was first established in 1993, have significantly decreased in recent years as greater smartphone usage and advances in 4G technologies drive customer preferences for mobile data and faster speeds.”

Virgin Mobile and Optus Wholesale service providers using the 2G GSM network will also be affected.

“Our priority has been to prepare our customers for this change and ensure they have sufficient time to upgrade to newer devices. This has involved a range of letters, emails and texts sent over the past 11 months to help them with the transition as much as possible,” said Mr Wong.

For people looking for more information or that may have questions around what to do, we recommend they visit this blog post on the Optus Yes Crowd blog: https://yescrowd.optus.com.au/t5/Blog/2G-Network-Closure-Update/ba-p/187401

Media contact:

Michelle Pacey
Optus Corporate Affairs
(02) 8082 7850
media@optus.com.au