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 the end of March 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?
1. 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.
VoLTE/VoLTE roaming capable devices
2. 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.
- Then check that 4G/5G data is enabled in your phone settings as well as 4G voice calling/VoLTE.
- 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.
3. If your phone is not listed on our VoLTE capable devices list
It is likely due to one of the following reasons:
- 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.
4. 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?
How will coverage be improved when 3G is switched off?
Will in-building coverage solutions be affected when 3G switches off?
Will Circuit Switched Data (CSD) be affected when 3G switches off?
How can our team members improve poor coverage at home?
What happens to team members with older mobile devices when 3G switches off?
What happens to 3G dongles and other 3G-connected devices after the switch-off?
Will my Wireless Modem or Homephone Wireless device be affected?
- 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?
IoT - 3G switch off