Hi Petition Signers,
The Petition continues to grow and is now past 9,500 signatures, with 10,000 not far away!
Please help to push the petition to 10,000.
It's been a while since the last petition update in early March, but I have some important updates to share with you.
For the past several weeks I've been developing an online blocking comparison website that allows users to easily compare the blocking results for each telco.
On the website you can easily select a make and model and find out what networks a device (TAC) is blocked or supported on.
You can visit the site at isthisphoneblocked.net.au
Currently the carriers are hiding this information behind their IMEI Checker Search boxes, you can only view one result at a time and can't sort by model or brand, Vodafone also has no public checker tool. (Despite such a tool being available to support staff)
The aim of the site is two fold, to provide you the consumer with a way to actually know what devices are actually blocked (including what phones you can use on the networks), as well as to try and shine a light on the issue and bad pre-shutdown analysis by the telcos.
The Google Sheet I've been maintaining since the shutdown is not easy to use and is slow to load, though I will continue to add data to both places.
Some people are in abject denial that the telcos could have possibly blocked devices in error or that the telcos are blocking officially supported phones sold and supported by their competitors.
This was clear to all of those that watched the Senate Hearings earlier this year.
However this is an absolute fact and is very easy to see and prove with the website!
If the telcos were confident in their lists they would have published them in a spreadsheet months ago, but if you look through the comparative results it's abundantly clear the telcos have failed to do proper analysis about what phones actually work.
Both with phones that do and do not support VoLTE Emergency Calling.
Optus are blocking numerous 2023 & 2024 Model 5G Phones that are Not Blocked by Telstra or Vodafone, along with other IoT equipment and Smartwatches.
4G/5G Phones that require 3G for 000 now just get stuck on calling!
Blocked phones that are capable of 4G Emergency Calls will connect when calling 000.
Devices when they connect to 000 send the full device IMEI (Serial Number) to the network, so the telcos know they are blocking devices in error, and have the data to know what individual phones are still working for 000, but refuse to unblock them.
Equally I have a number of other phones which are 'officially supported' makes and models (TACs) that due to software issues cannot make Emergency Calls, this includes iPhones as well.
I will say, I do anticipate that the telcos will start panic blocking devices in response and further restrict access to their checkers & lists.
It's worth mentioning that Telstra's Checker tool is currently not working and the database appears to have been taken offline, it was working a few days ago.
Letters & Submissions to the ACMA, Minister and Department
As an additional update, as mentioned in a previous Petition update in March the ACMA had an 'Open Consultation' for their 2025 Compliance Priorities.
The consultation page even said:
"We are particularly interested in your views about new issues of public interest, or those causing consumer harm.
We are also keen to hear if you have identified issues relating to public safety, Triple Zero, or other community safeguards. "
It originally closed on Monday the 24th, but they extended it until 11 April.
https://www.acma.gov.au/consultations/2025-01/compliance-priorities-2025-26
On 24 March I provided a 19 page document outlining all of the issues, including that the telcos are blocking compatible phones sold by their competitors and are refusing to unblock them.
(See below, the ACMA don't seem to publish the Compliance Priority submissions).
Submission to the ACMA - RE Compliance Priorities 2025-2026 - James Parker - 2025-03-24
On the 27th of March I then finished writing a 42 page 13K word version to the (then) Minister which broke down everything in detail.
Both letters included clear evidence showing the contradictory blocking of compatible devices by telcos.
I've received confirmation that the Department of Infrastructure has seen the letter.
There hopefully may be further updates about this soon!
There is an awareness of this problem and with enough luck, sustained pressure, and complaints there may be some improvements around all of these issues.
If you have previously been knocked back by the TIO, ACMA or your telco please once again write to the (new) Minister, Department of Infrastructure and specifically the Consumer Safeguards Division.
Election Outcome & Change in Minister
Also with the outcome of the Election known there has been a change in the Communications Minister.
Michelle Rowland is now Attorney General and the new Communications Minister is now Anika Wells. Who by the stroke of chance, happens to be my Local MP in the electorate of Lilley on the Northside of Brisbane.
Everything I've ever sent to Minister Rowland about this issue since 2023 has also been sent to my Local MP and their office, so there is likely to be some awareness of my efforts, it remains to be seen if that is of benefit.
In my recent letters I've offered to engage with the Regulators and Government on this issue entirely in good faith, and I hope to see some practical and pragmatic solutions to the issues consumers are experiencing.
But the only way that happens is if we continue to put pressure on the regulators and telcos!
Which I understand is difficult with other life commitments you all have, but it's very valuable even if doesn't seem like it.
Vodafone Network Support Data
I'm also looking for Vodafone Network Customers with 'Supported Devices' to send through copies of the SMS 3498 Checker Results along with their Device IMEI/TAC.
As Vodafone has no checker tool I have very limited support Data for Vodafone.
Vodafone's SMS 3498 Checker is still providing results.
As Vodafone had no 3G Network for several months prior to the full switch-off they have much better 'real-world' data to know what phones actually work, compared to Telstra and Optus.
For example my 5G Xperia 1 II (XQ-AT52) with Android 12 is supported on Vodafone but is blocked by both Telstra and Optus, even when using an International Roaming Sim Card.
That phone made VoLTE Emergency Calls on every network (with and without a sim) prior to shutdown and has done so after shutdown, yet the phone remains blocked. It's a device that uses a Global 'Open Market Device' VoLTE Profile/Modem Config.
That profile is perfectly capable but due to a failure to properly analyse device capabilities, Telstra and Optus blocked the phone.
I think Telstra likely blocked the phone because prior to late January/early February this year they didn't support the most widely used Generic 'Open Market' VoLTE Profiles, so the phone couldn't register for standard VoLTE Call service (over IMS), but it was perfectly capable of placing an Emergency Call over 'SOS' 4G, even prior to shutdown.
If you want to learn more you have look at the Compliance Priorities Submission I made to the ACMA linked above.
Website Development and Feedback
In the days and weeks ahead I'm going to continue working on the site further, adding more brands and features.
Interested to hear any feedback or suggestions.
Though much of the long term viability of the site requires the telcos to make their blocking data public, including the reasons why they did or didn't block certain models. It remains to be see if that happens, or they restrict the data more, but I will keep sharing the data I have.
As always, you are welcome to contact me if you have any further information you want to share.
https://medium.com/@jamesdwho/about
Thank you for all the support and interest with this to date.
There is still more that can be done, including with your help, there is power in numbers.
Regards
James