Tech Talks: Understanding the 3G shutdowns

Come and join us for our online Tech Talk with our guest speaker, Paul Brislen from NZ Telecommunications Forum (TCF) talking about understanding the 3G shutdowns.

Understanding the 3G Shutdown – What does it mean for you and your business?

Join us for a practical session on what the upcoming 3G Shutdown means for Kiwi consumers and businesses, hosted by NZ Telecommunications Forum CEO and industry expert Paul Brislen.

From the end of 2025, New Zealand’s 3G mobile networks will be shutdown. This means any phones, tablets or IOT devices relying on 3G will stop working, including for emergency calling. This change is part of a global move to upgrade to faster, more reliable 4G and 5G networks. While most people and businesses are already using newer devices, some phones, tablets and connected equipment still rely on the 3G network for all or some of their functions. 

Phone devices - may require settings or software updates to connect to 4G only, or in the case of much older phones, replacement. Learn about the SMS checker tool available to help you check if your phone is good to go or needs attention. 

Business should audit their tech facilities and talk to suppliers now to avoid disruptions - examples of potentially affected devices include lifts, security and medical alarms, smart meters and more. 

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, business owner or just want to make sure your phone keeps working, we’ll give you the know-how and confidence to handle the 3G shutdown. Bring your questions - our team is here to help

Paul is an experienced technology executive and industry commentator, with an extensive background in the telecommunications sector.He has almost three decades of executive experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors. Between 2011 and 2014, he was CEO of users group TUANZ (previously the Telecommunications Users Association of NZ, now the Technology Users Association of NZ). 

During that time, he was also a Board Member of TCF and served as a Council Member of TDR, New Zealand’s independent Telecommunications Dispute Resolution service.

Paul has also worked at One New Zealand (formerly Vodafone) as well as for a number of news media organisations, including as editor of Computerworld. His most recent role before the TCF was leading the corporate communications team at Datacom.