2G and 3G have been switched off in Australia

Basic phones and flip phones make calls over 2G, 3G or 4G calling (VoLTE). Here's when each network switches 2G and 3G off, and what that means for your phone.

As of 22 October 2026

• No 2G: Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. #
• No 3G: Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. #

Every big network in Australia has already switched off 2G and 3G, so a basic phone needs 4G calling to make calls.

Every network

Smaller networks use a big network's masts, so they have its 2G and 3G and its dates.

“Not confirmed” means the network hasn't announced a date we could find, or we couldn't confirm it. We don't estimate dates.

What it means for a basic phone

• While a network still runs 2G, almost any basic phone can make calls on it.
• After 2G and 3G are gone, a phone can only make calls with 4G calling (VoLTE). The phone has to support it, and the network has to turn it on for that phone. Many networks only do that for phones they've approved.
• A phone without 4G calling may still show signal and use 4G data, but it can't make or take calls.
• A phone we've confirmed makes 4G calls on your network isn't affected by either switch-off.

As of 24 Oct 2026, none of the 5 basic phones sold in Australia is confirmed to make 4G calls on all 3 big networks.

See which phones make 4G calls on each network

Each network's page lists the phones we've confirmed on it: Optus, Telstra, Vodafone. All networks

Last updated 22 October 2026. How we check