If you’re still using your old Nokia 3310 from the early 2000s, you may want to consider an upgrade. Telstra shut down their 2G network in December 2016, Optus in August 2017, and as of March 31 2018, Vodafone will commence shut down of their 2G network, making them the final Australian cellular provider to do so.
What does this mean? Firstly, it means all 2G handsets will lose the function to call and send text messages. But you can still play the Snake game. It also means low-data services like GPS trackers need to find a new home on 3G. According to Vodafone’s latest announcement, their 2G networks will phase out in stages across Australia in 2018. So fret not, Nokia users. There’s still time to switch over to a 3G or 4G handset.
Queensland is scheduled to have 2G shut down by the end of March to mid April.
Victoria and Tasmania will have 2G shut down by the end of May.
Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory - End of May to Mid-June.
New South Wales and the ACT, have until the end of June.
(Nokia 3310 Mobile Phone, photo by Santeri Viinamäki, via WikiMedia Commons)
However, this also means that all 2G GPS tracking devices (including the Black Knight Z-09, Z-15, Z-11 and X-1 models) will become obsolete. We see this as not a loss but rather an opportunity. We are giving all customers the opportunity to upgrade, to either the X3 or Z3 trackers, so that you’re not left in the dark and can continue protecting your assets. Unless you upgrade from your 2G device, your account may be suspended, making you unable to track.
Upgrading to a 3G tracker means more accurate tracking over a much larger area. Our 3G tracker also boasts a longer battery life, so that your asset can remain trackable long after its turned off. Like its predecessors, the Z3 is wired directly to your vehicle’s battery and uses the same wiring as the Z-11, so you don’t have to worry about installation. The X3, is even simpler, as it connects directly to the OBD-II port for a permanent power source. Just plug it in and you’re good to go.
You may be asking, why were we using 2G in the first place, instead of 3G or even 4G?
Think of 4G as a sprawling motorway, 3G as a three-lane artery road, and 2G as your single-lane country road. The data sent by our GPS trackers are so minimal that it doesn’t need the wider bandwidths of 3G and 4G. The 2G country road is more than adequate to handle our minimal data usage, that’s why most tracking devices around the world still use 2G…which is alive and well in Europe, the UK, South America, Central America, to name a few regions. But in Australia, sadly many low-data businesses like trackers (including security products, vending machines, meters, etc) have also been forced to transition up to 3G just to have a 'home' on the host cellular networks that allow us to transmit your tracking data.
If you’re still in possession of a Black Knight 2G tracker, please dispose of it properly in the electrical waste, as it contains a lithium-ion battery which can be hazardous if improperly disposed. Alternatively, you can post it back to Black Knight and receive a month of free connectivity on your new tracker. Do not try to sell the tracker. You’ll be selling a dead product.
If you wish to continue tracking with Black Knight, visit our online store and upgrade to a 3G tracker today, or talk to us!
Goodbye 2G, old friend, you will be dearly missed. Now, time for one final Snake game…