Hi Petition Signers,
Due to the recent Samsung and Vodafone 000 Calling debacle the Petition has continued to grow in numbers.
Thank you to those that have signed and shared.
For those of you with 'impacted' Samsung models I've written a deep technical dive on the Samsung & Vodafone 000 issue, and what the difference is between devices that work and don't.
A link to that can be found below, it is quite technical in nature but there are some easy ways to check your device. (Though it still may get blocked anyway).
I've tested 6 different devices and it's obvious which ones actually don't work and why.
It turns out the difference between what devices work for 000 on Vodafone and those that don't is quite literally a 1.3 Kilobyte text file!
That's the 'fix'.
This (firmware) file has the VoLTE 000 settings for Vodafone.
Whereas Optus and Telstra have had settings and support for the feature since at least 2017.
Your device Does NOT need Android 13 or higher, nor a 'Custom ROM' (if on an older version).
Your device simply just needs a little more than the 1KB worth of settings for Vodafone's 000 'SOS' Network.
It generally should only need the latest update, which may be from 2021 or 2022. (Though different Firmware variants don't have this file!).
As mentioned at a recent Triple Zero Inquiry Senate hearing, Vodafone only enabled support for 4G emergency calls in 2021 and prior to that relied on 3G for Emergency Calls.
But for devices like the Galaxy S8 Samsung didn't push out those settings to devices until July 2022, despite other newer models receiving the settings in 2021.
For some firmware regions Samsung didn't push out the settings at all, only the Emergency Calling settings for Telstra and Optus are present.
Telstra is also now moving to block many newer devices like US Model Galaxy Note 9's, along with devices like the Galaxy S10 models, Note 10.
Even US Model Galaxy Fold's (and many others), including many 2021 'A Series' models.
None of which are listed on the Telstra exchange advisory page.
https://www.telstra.com.au/exchange/older-mobile-devices-calling-triple-zero
Based on what I've decompiled, many of these actually have the settings, but because they were not sold here and 'may' not work they'll be blocked as well.
Is this Phone Blocked? - Telstra Database Changelog
https://isthisphoneblocked.net.au/telstra/changelog
This issue is honestly somewhat similar to that story Louis Rossmann covered a few years ago about Samsung Mexico blocking devices not sold in Mexico and 'imported'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln4rsxWq3WM
Samsung calling phones that they themselves made and sold 'the grey market'.
Though in this case the telcos are blocking them but Samsung is telling them what's 'incompatible'. (At least it seems)
Some other market variants do genuinely have a problem, but again that's because of Samsung and how they designed their software and VoLTE system.
(Which is essentially propriety compared to other Android handset vendors)
But even if you install AU software those devices may be blocked anyway based on IMEI.
Vodafone has also known about this issue 000 'profile' issue for some time and all they did was quietly remove devices that can make 4G VoLTE Calls on Vodafone but not to 000 from their official support list in July/August 2023.
Months before the full awareness of the problem was (reportedly) known about by the Government and regulators in February/March 2024.
By that time Vodafone had already shut down their 3G Network.
As per the write-up, I've also found that Telstra is blocking Samsung phones that Do NOT have the problem and have been configured to make Emergency Calls on the Vodafone network in 'camp-on'.
There has been a regression in device software with Android 9.0 and above.
The Vodafone network was configured on the Telstra Emergency Calling settings on Android 8 and below devices, but with Android 9 this changed.
As an example, I have a Galaxy S9+ with Android 8.0 and it works on Vodafone for 000, but a Galaxy S8/Note 8 with Android 9.0 that doesn't.
The S8/Note 8 models only work if they have the 1.3KB of text settings for Vodafone 000.
I also have a Galaxy S6 (with Android 7) sold by Telstra and it works for 000 on Vodafone, it too has Vodafone's 50503 network configured on the Telstra Emergency Settings.
It would be interesting to hear what you all find with your devices, it's quite easy to test if these phones can't call 000 on Vodafone as outlined in the write-up.
Even if your phone is blocked, it is not blocked from Emergency Calls if it is otherwise capable and able to make calls on a given network.
A lot of perfectly capable devices are being blocked and thousands of consumers are being told 'they are out of support' and to 'buy a new one'.
This is a software issue not a hardware issue, it is entirely fixable.
Additionally, as revealed at the same Inquiry on Tuesday, there was reportedly another death involving a Samsung user on the Vodafone network, this one from late September.
ABC - TPG Telecom boss says second person may have died due to Triple Zero failure - 9 Dec 2025
Reportedly Vodafone is also now moving to a more restrictive device 'whitelist' blocking 'unknown' capability devices, including some phones recently sold at Officeworks!
Seems TPG/Vodafone is trying to improve how the list 'looks' whilst not actually addressing the problem and punishing consumers in the process.
If you have been told your device is going to be Blocked on the Vodafone network please complete the Blocked Device Survey below. The data is really important!
4G/5G Device Blocking & Capabilities Submission Form
It seems perhaps models that haven't made enough historical 4G 000 calls are going to be blocked, even if otherwise perfectly capable.
Vodafone doesn't have a public IMEI/TAC checker tool so there is no real visibility with what they're doing.
They still maintain the SMS 3498 checker, but that's it.
It's clear the telcos have very poor real world data about what works, especially for phones they didn't sell or their handset partners didn't sell.
Is this Phone Blocked? - 4G/5G Device Blocking Checker
https://isthisphoneblocked.net.au
They have engaged and are engaging in anti-consumer, anti-competitive behaviour and they need to be held accountable for their actions!
They've made a lot of assumptions & shortcuts and there is no transparency with what they've done or what they're doing.
There must be accountability, and hopefully this occurs with the Triple Zero Senate Inquiry.
(Thank you if you wrote a submission, general public submissions are yet to be published)
Please also write to your Local MP, the Communications Minister, Regulators (ACCC & ACMA) and demand answers & accountability from the telcos!
AEC Electorate:
https://electorate.aec.gov.au
APH - Contacting Senators and Members
https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Contacting_Senators_and_Members
ACCC - Report a Consumer Issue:
https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/contact-us-or-report-an-issue/report-a-consumer-issue
ACMA - Contact Us:
https://www.acma.gov.au/contact-us
Communications Minister Contact:
https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/contact
As always, you are welcome to contact me if you have any further information you want to share, multiple contact methods are available.
https://medium.com/@jamesdwho/about
https://isthisphoneblocked.net.au/contact
There is still more that can be done, including with your help, there is power in numbers.
Regards
James