3G shutdown: check your phones

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#3458637 4-Feb-2026 11:21

Rikkitic:

Thanks, topup ok. Apparently just a network fault.

May be worth registering yourself with your carrier as medically dependent if you require the mobile for medical reasons.

Rikkitic

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#3458641 4-Feb-2026 11:30

boosacnoodle:

May be worth registering yourself with your carrier as medically dependent if you require the mobile for medical reasons.

I am actually in pretty good health for my age and I don't have any medical issues at all. That is why I did not even have a phone at my rural address until recently. I just thought at 80+ living on my own that it might be sensible to get a phone in case I whacked myself with the chain saw.

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quickymart

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#3458698 4-Feb-2026 14:07

I have a Nokia C01 phone on Spark and was looking at using a spare Samsung Galaxy A01 that had previously been used on 2degrees. I didn't think it would work (previously it only seemed to be connecting on 3G) but I just tried a prepay Spark SIM in it again and lo and behold, I have VoLTE on Spark and it picks up 4G just fine. So I think I'll migrate to the Samsung and keep the Nokia as a spare.

I just need to pick up a new micro SD card, screen protector and case for it and I'll be set for Spark 4G 🙂

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#3458887 4-Feb-2026 22:44

I have been monitoring my phone and checking the outage map all day and the network is still down (where I live). So glad I don't use 2FA. That must be a real problem for those who do.

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Aucklandjafa

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#3458903 5-Feb-2026 06:39

Rikkitic:

I have been monitoring my phone and checking the outage map all day and the network is still down (where I live). So glad I don't use 2FA. That must be a real problem for those who do.

If your phone has VoWifi, then you should also be able to receive text messages

Rikkitic

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#3458961 5-Feb-2026 10:04

Aucklandjafa:

If your phone has VoWifi, then you should also be able to receive text messages

I don't know what that is and the icons are so tiny on my damned phone that I can't make them out even with a magnifying glass. There used to be two I could recognise, one for 4G and the other for Volte, but they have both disappeared. There seem to be three left now, the first says 3G1 over it, the second is a square pattern with a no entry traffic sign, and the third is a green bush with something, maybe a fist, in front of it. I have no idea what these are supposed to mean. Who designs these things anyway?

My phone is a dumb Cat B40 so I think it is fairly basic. I just checked it again and the network is still unavailable to me. This since 08.30 yesterday morning. No information on the Spark site, just that they are working on it.

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#3458963 5-Feb-2026 10:10

@Rikkitic The Cat b40 does not support Wi-Fi calling and this thread is about the 3G shutdown

Rikkitic

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#3458977 5-Feb-2026 11:00

Linux:

@Rikkitic The Cat b40 does not support Wi-Fi calling and this thread is about the 3G shutdown

Right. I was just responding to a post. As I have explained, I don't know much about mobile phone technology and when I originally posted here, it was because I thought my issue might be related to the 3G shutdown. I now know better.

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scottjpalmer

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#3460458 11-Feb-2026 09:48

Looking at the coverage map the only One NZ 3G left in the South Island is in and around Christchurch. The shutdown page hasn't been updated yet.

EDIT: 12:48pm shutdown page updated now

boosacnoodle

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#3460463 11-Feb-2026 10:03

Funny that Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Woodend are part of Christchurch but not Rolleston. Somewhat surprised to see Akaroa switched off given it's in the Christchurch City Council boundaries.

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#3460564 11-Feb-2026 12:22

boosacnoodle:

Funny that Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Woodend are part of Christchurch but not Rolleston. Somewhat surprised to see Akaroa switched off given it's in the Christchurch City Council boundaries.

It probably has nothing to do with city boundaries. It is likely roll out is planned using TAC/LAC areas. Each operator defines TAC/LAC areas which optimised for operator requirements and not council etc boundaries.

Sometimes a TAC covering part of a city will include surrounding rural areas e.g. 2degrees in South Auckland and Waiheke Island has a big TAC covering both urban and rural areas.

Sometimes not e.g. One NZ's South Auckland TAC is pretty tight. Anything outside this area is allocated to neighbouring TACs. E.g. many of the more rural South/East Auckland sites are in the Waikato TAC.

In your case it paobly just happens that sites in Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Woodend, etc happen to be in the one of the Christchurch city TACs, whereas Rolleson, Akaroa happens to be part of the surrounding rural TAC.

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#3460616 11-Feb-2026 13:35

https://archive.ph/HHdix

Birkenhead Brewing Company owner Steve Simms says he’ll have to pay around $500 to replace the radio component of his alarm system, which currently uses 3G to communicate alerts.

“The telcos should have thought about little businesses... such as ourselves having to put our hands in our pockets for their upgrade,” Simms said.

“What they should be doing is actually underwriting their upgrade.”

Does this guy have a valid point?

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#3460626 11-Feb-2026 13:47

quickymart:

https://archive.ph/HHdix

Birkenhead Brewing Company owner Steve Simms says he’ll have to pay around $500 to replace the radio component of his alarm system, which currently uses 3G to communicate alerts.

“The telcos should have thought about little businesses... such as ourselves having to put our hands in our pockets for their upgrade,” Simms said. “What they should be doing is actually underwriting their upgrade.” Does this guy have a valid point?

@quickymart no my parents paid $999 to upgrade the ADT home alarm and he is crying like a baby over $500

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#3460627 11-Feb-2026 13:48

The shutdown was announced three years in advance. Budgeting a single $500 expense over that period doesn't seem too onerous to me.

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#3460635 11-Feb-2026 13:58

@quickymart Further to this the business I work which has 14 sites right around New Zealand and some sites have 3 units (not normal alarms but for SMS alerts) depending on size so Steve Simms needs needs to harden up!

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