Vodafone Shutting Down 3 For Good

The end is nigh for Australian mobile provider 3, as Vodafone has finally announced its shut down date for the network.

The 3 brand in Australia will officially be farewelled on the 30th of August, meaning any existing 3 customers will need to abandon ship before the network is switched off.

Vodafone is advising customers to call their customer service centre or visit a Vodafone store in order to stay connected – but 3 users are free to take their business to any telco, and still keep their existing number (provided they make the switch before the end of August).

What does this mean for 3 customers?

While 3 subscribers can port their number to any mobile provider, Vodafone is encouraging users to stick with its network. 3 customers have already been using the Vodafone network since August last year, so coverage will remain unchanged.

An advantage in choosing to move to Vodafone over rival providers is that the telco won't be forcing 3 customers to sign up to a new 24-month contract, if they have time remaining on their 3 plan.

While customers will need to switch to a Vodafone plan, they can opt to only be locked in for the amount of time they had left on their previous contract with 3 and keep their existing phone. There will be no upfront fees for customers who decide to switch to Vodafone, unless they opt to buy a new handset.

Vodafone has also announced it has a number of plans on Vodafone aimed at customers coming across from 3, which will remain similar in both price and inclusions to existing 3 plans. We're not sure at this stage just what Vodafone will be offering to 3 customers, but it's likely the telco will be prepared to negotiate to keep subscribers on its network.

Why is this happening?

The closure of 3, and the expiry of its roaming agreement with Telstra at the end of this month will complete the transition to shift Vodafone Hutchison's focus to a single mobile brand.

First launched in 2003 by telecommunications group Hutchison, 3 was the first commercial 3G network in Australia. 3 and Vodafone merged in 2009, creating Vodafone Hutchison Australia, with the expectation that the two brands would eventually become one under the Vodafone brand name.

The 3 brand has been slowly cannibalised by Vodafone since the merger. Vodafone ceased allowing new customers to sign up to 3 plans in 2011, but existing 3 users were able to continue their service unaffected.

In August 2012, all existing 3 customers were moved over to the Vodafone network, after the joint network shared by 3 and Telstra was shut down. Despite using Vodafone's network coverage, 3 customers kept their original plans and were not required to sign with Vodafone to maintain their service.

Although there aren't any official figures, it's estimated that there are still several hundred thousand Australians using 3 mobile or broadband plans. About 1% of these users will be affected by the end of 3's roaming agreement with Telstra, but Vodafone has announced it will be contacting these subscribers directly to offer assistance.

While the move to close 3 was expected, it's another in a series of decisions made by Vodafone to focus on improving its network and winning back consumers. Crazy John's customers found themselves in a similar position to 3 subscribers in January, when Vodafone announced it would be terminating the independent mobile retailer it acquired in 2008.

Vodafone is on the verge of launching its much-awaited 4G network and will be working to upgrade its existing 3G coverage over the next 12 months, including adding thousands of square kilometres to its regional coverage.

Tara Donnelly

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