Hello! What happened? Farm equipment disconnects as 3G D-day looms

The rush is on to check if thousands of mobile phones and other electronic devices embedded in farm equipment will stay working when 3G networks shut down in the next six months.

Even some older 4G phones may not be adequate for calls, including triple zero emergency contacts, when 3G shuts off.

Telstra will turn off its 3G network on June 30, Optus follows in late September, and Vodafone shut its service in January.

However, rural dwellers are worried they may need extra booster kits or replacement gear and modifications to maintain their signal strength.

In some cases, signal strength declined when 5G services had been switched on in their district, providing insufficient capacity for equipment to operate.

One example involved a hay producer who now feared he would lose the chance for a final lucerne crop cut for the season because his irrigation booms suddenly couldn't receive adequate signal to operate.

Other farmers were angry and frustrated about extended service interruptions to current 3G and 4G services lasting for a week or two as telcos modified their networks in preparation for the looming deadlines.

Bindi grazier Simon Turner said they had a monitoring system for their electric fence and water supply, which would need a $2000-$2500 replacement to adapt to the upgraded network.

"We're hoping maybe the 4G might work better, we're certainly in a remote area and mobile service where there's not much reception," he said.

"The only alternative is not to have anything and revert it back to that, which is not an option.

"Economics are a bit tight at the moment so any improvements would be delayed in the short-term."

He said managing the farm without the monitoring system would be an animal health and livestock protection issue, as well as occupational health and safety.

They have had the system in place for at least a decade, and were notified by the product's company that the 3G network shut down would affect the system.

"It's a little bit concerning, the last time we had a major upgrade of this nature was when we changed from CDMA to digital," he said.

"CDMA worked much better in this region, we could actually get mobile service in some locations here, when we moved to the digital network it seemed to dramatically reduce the field.

"We're not sure until we turn them on that we'll know."

He said companies were already discussing 5G as the next available service in regional areas.

Mr Turner has a Wi-Fi-extender system on the farm to ensure they have connectivity about 200-300 metres from their home.

Based in the high country, it meant he could be in his woolshed working, and still be called on his mobile.

If Mr Turner leaves the extended range, he communicates on an old UHF radio system.

"We've been looking at what affordable options are available and the Wi-Fi extender system became an obvious choice for a coverage system," he said.

He said they had investigated StarLink as an alternative.

"It's significantly more costly," Mr Turner said.

"We're also highly reliant on our landline system, the old copper wire, it's an old antiquated line and Telstra told us they won't upgrade it.

"In times of emergency we really rely heavily on that system."

He said in the modern world, communication was becoming crucial for health and safety, connectivity with stock management and accounting programs, advisors, and the outside world.

"As time goes on, the need for connectivity is ever increasing," he said.

Typical gear using telemetry data might include electric fences and water tank monitoring devices, soil moisture and temperature sensors, irrigation rigs and pumps, security cameras, dairy equipment and crop spraying rigs.

Non ag-specific uses for the 3 million 3G-compatible phones and devices used Australia-wide range from EFTPOS machines to about 200,000 medical alarms and related household health monitoring gear.

The digital 3G network began operating in 2006, replacing the voice-only analogue and hybrid CDMA service in 2008.

Now it is being repurposed so the underutilised frequency can accommodate 4G and 5G spectrum services with faster, wider bandwidth to handle big data download demands.

Telstra has warned some disruptions to its regional network were required as 3G equipment was replaced or existing 4G towers upgraded with new technology and better designed antennas.

Telstra, with 99 per cent coverage of the Australian population, including the biggest geographic footprint, has almost 12,000 mobile towers servicing 3G, 4G and 5G networks in regional and metropolitan areas.

Just 2pc of those towers, mostly in relatively remote areas, still operate 3G services.

Telstra insisted anybody making mobile phone calls on the 3G network today should receive the same quality service, or better, on 4G by June 30, assuming their handset was not more than five or six years old.

Telstra's southern NSW regional manager, Chris Taylor said some recently-acquired handsets may need to have their 4G settings unlocked.

Similar setting variations could also be needed where customers currently relied on signal booster kits for 3G connectivity in poor reception or black spot areas.

In fact, they may need to replace their amplifier and/or antenna with new booster gear, potentially at a cost of about $1200, plus installation charges.

"We'd recommend using somebody who is appropriately trained to do any installation to improve the phone signal, or any telemetry equipment upgrades," he said.

Meanwhile, telecommunications companies have urged farm sector customers to check whether any machinery or monitoring equipment using telemetry transmissions may be impacted by the 3G shutdown.

The same applied to households with medical monitoring equipment, including CPAP machines for sleep apnea sufferers.

While recently purchased equipment was unlikely to be impacted, in some cases an upgrade could simply involve buying a new, relatively cheap, SIM card.

Aside from switching to a 4G telemetry signal, sensor monitoring gear could also make use of non-voice narrow bandwidth services, which were well placed to send and receive data.

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association has listed 25 of the most-used phones and related devices which will not work after the 3G shutdown.

These devices include the iPhone 5, 5C and 5S; Google Pixel 2 XL; Huawei's E5251s-2, E5331 and Y6 Prime; Nokia 301; Optus X Smart; iPad Air, Retina and iPad mini, and Samsung Galaxy S5.

Some smartwatches, although 4G compatible, may only work on a limited set of 4G spectrum bands and thus could have reduced mobile network coverage, including Apple Watch Series 3, 4 and 5, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch.