Between December 2023 and September 2024, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone will close their 3G networks to make room for new, faster cellular services. The 3G network shutdown will affect vital equipment and services that are dependent on cellular connectivity, and aviation operators are urged to start their transition to 4G/LTE capability as soon as possible to avoid interruptions. The schedule to shut down 3G services is Vodafone December 2023, Telstra June 2024 & Optus September 2024. After these dates, all cell modems will need to have VoLTE (Voice over LTE) capability, to retain voice comms over the cellular networks.
3G was rolled out back in 2003 and is now old technology. When 3G networks are shut down entirely, devices that rely on 3G connectivity will no longer function. The good news is that the Flightcell DZMx is a modular future proofed system, meaning modem and hardware upgrades are available without the need to replace your unit. For operators using Flightcell DZMx units with 3G/4G data only cell modems, they will need to arrange for their units to be upgraded to VoLTE capable cell modems to continue to utilise the cellular voice capabilities. Please note: Voice and tracking services over Iridium Satellite will NOT be affected, so the Flightcell DZMx system will still operate over satellite.
Do all Flightcell DZMx systems need upgrading?
Once Flightcell learned of the impending shut down of 3G in countries around the world, we were quick to replace the previous modem (which was 3G Voice and 4G Data) with the new 4G/LTE modems that are in the Flightcell DZMx today. Flightcell began shipping this new APAC modem in September 2021. So generally speaking, any Flightcell DZMx system purchased after this date will not need an upgrade, however, please refer to the below table to determine whether your system needs an upgrade.
• Flightcell DZMx PLUS systems do NOT need to be upgraded.
• Any units that do not have a cell modem do NOT need to do anything.
