The 3G switch-off is coming.
As the 4G and 5G rollout across Aotearoa increases momentum, it’s now time to look ahead and prepare to farewell the 3G network. By 31 December 2025, when you'll be able to access 4G everywhere you currently have 3G (or 5G, where available), we will switch off the 3G network.
Everything you do now on 3G will be significantly better on 4G - and even more so on 5G. Plus, our 5G coverage will continue to expand further as we, like many other mobile network providers worldwide, reallocate resources towards the 5G rollout.
There's still plenty of time to make the move, though, and we'll be with you every step of the way.
What can I do now?
Check that you can make 4G or 5G calls
- Firstly, the most important thing is to check whether your phone can make mobile voice calls using 4G or 5G, also called “VoLTE”.
- Most smartphones have this capability except for older ones and there are some others that will work in NZ but not when you visit countries that have also shutdown their 3G networks.
- Check your phone's VoLTE capability on our devices list.
Check your phone’s software and VoLTE setting
- If your phone has VoLTE support then great, but we’d still recommend that you make sure you have enabled your phone’s latest software update.
- For Android phones: Go to Settings > Software Update
- For iPhones (iOS): Go to Settings > General > Software Update
- Then check that 4G/5G data is enabled in your phone settings as well as 4G voice calling/VoLTE.
- Head to your mobile network settings and switch the 4G/VoLTE calling toggle to “On"
- For Android phones: Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > VoLTE calls enabled
- For iPhone (iOS) This is usually already enabled for most iPhones: Go to Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data Options > Voice & Data (ensure 4G or 5G is “On”)
- VoLTE roaming capabilities will be important depending on your travel destination. Most of our overseas roaming partners are shutting down their 3G networks. Learn more about overseas 3G roaming networks.
If your phone is not listed on our VoLTE capable devices list
- It is likely that you have a 2G or 3G phone that won’t be able to make any mobile voice calls, send text messages or use mobile data after our 3G shutdown so you’ll need to upgrade it to a 4G or 5G phone.
- You have an older 4G phone that can use 4G for data but it can only make voice calls on 3G, so you’ll need to upgrade this phone to keep making mobile voice calls including emergency calls.
- You have a 4G/5G phone that hasn’t been tested and approved by One NZ. It may still work and again we’d recommend loading the latest phone updates and checking that 4G/5G data is enabled in your phone settings along with 4G voice calling/VoLTE. However, we cannot guarantee that your phone will work perfectly on our 4G/5G network for all services and if you have any concerns then we’d recommend you upgrade your phone to one of our approved models.
Options for upgrading your phone
- If your team members are on a One NZ monthly Endless Business mobile plan, consider upgrading their phones by buying interest-free. Check out your phone options.
- If some of your team are currently on a One NZ prepay plan, now is a good time to think about switching them to a monthly Endless Business mobile plan instead and taking advantage of the phone deals available on these plans. View business phone deals.
Frequently asked questions
When will the 3G network switch off?
The 3G network will be switched off on 31 December 2025. To ensure you stay connected, you'll need to upgrade your devices before then.
How will coverage be improved when 3G is switched off?
Switching off 3G will allow us to bring 5G to more people across Aotearoa. As we continue to roll out 5G, we’ll repurpose the 3G spectrum to increase 5G coverage.
Will in-building coverage solutions be affected when 3G switches off?
In-building coverage solutions that only work on 3G will need to be replaced before the end of 31 December 2025. Affected customers will be contacted in the coming months to discuss their options, but if you have any queries regarding your existing solution, contact your One NZ Account Manager or Service Manager.
Will Circuit Switched Data (CSD) be affected when 3G switches off?
After 3G switches off, CSD services will fall back to 2G however the data speed will be much slower and there is less coverage around NZ and 2G itself will also be switched off at the end of 2025. So we recommend switching to a 4G or 5G mobile data service instead - contact your Account Manager or Service Manager to discuss your options.
How can our team members improve poor coverage at home?
For better coverage at home, we recommend using Wifi Calling. Wifi Calling allows calls to be made over Wifi in areas with poor coverage. All business services will have Wifi Calling enabled before the 3G network switches off.
What happens to team members with older mobile devices when 3G switches off?
If you don't upgrade their phones to ones fully capable with 4G before the 3G network switches off, they will fall back to our older 2G network - but only until the end of 2025, when 2G will also be switched off. The 2G network provides an inferior experience, with very slow data speeds, low call quality and less network coverage around Aotearoa. Then, when the 2G network shuts down at the end of 2025, their phones will stop working altogether on our network.
What happens to 3G dongles and other 3G-connected devices after the switch-off?
Once 3G switches off, these devices will fall back to 2G but with much slower data speeds. We recommend upgrading to 4G devices for data connectivity as soon as possible to ensure the best data experience.
Will my Wireless Modem or Homephone Wireless device be affected?
There are a few older devices that will be affected when we shut down the 3G network:
Don’t worry if you have one of these devices, we will be contacting you soon to let you know exactly what will happen.
- 3G only data modems with or without landline calling.
- 4G data modems that use 3G for landline calling (if they are only used for data then no changes are required).
- Homephone Wireless 3G devices used for landline calling.
Don’t worry if you have one of these devices, we will be contacting you soon to let you know exactly what will happen.
How will embedded systems, Machine to Machine (M2M), and Internet of Things (IoT) devices be affected when 3G switches off?
What happens will depend on the device, the service, and coverage in your area. In the coming months, we'll continue communicating with affected businesses we’re already in touch with and reach out to others we know will be affected. We also recommend proactively reviewing applications that use these technologies and conducting your own technological assessment. Then, if you have any questions or want to discuss your options, contact your One NZ Account Manager or Service Manager.
IoT - 3G switch off
IoT - 3G switch off