Homes gates, security systems affected by 3G shutdown

Christchurch woman Elly was shocked to be told that, if she wants her automatic gate to keep working as it is now, she'll have to spend almost $1000 to get it upgraded.

The gate runs on the 3G mobile network that is being turned off at the end of the year.

She said she wouldn't be too annoyed, except that she only bought the gate in January last year, well after the shutdown of the network was signalled.

"We saved for ages for the gate, you'd expect something like that to last."

When she posted on social media about the issue, she was contacted by other people facing similar problems.

Aero New Zealand, which provides gate access automation, said Centurion G-Ultra and G-Speak Ultra devices would not have any GSM functionality after the end of this year.

General manager Anton Neveling said initially there had been hundreds that needed to be updated but there were now only a handful remaining.

He said the detail of the upgrade procedure would vary according to the installer doing the work.

"Since early 2024, we've actively promoted 4G upgrade campaigns to our installer network and have only sold 4G-capable devices for the last two years. The majority of our install base have upgraded since the notices started going out . The telcos' 2G/3G shutdown was initially planned for end of 2024 so who knows even if they will keep to the end of year new deadline, however most of our clients already upgraded in the past 12 months, and the remaining ones will upgrade if they want to in the next six month as some just simply use their remote to open the gates.

"In our product space, the 3G shutdown does not affect the gate, remote control, or keypad operation, only app-based functions such as push notifications, SMS alerts, or opening via a mobile app."

His business had stopped selling the 3G gates in 2023 with the expectation that the shutdown would happen. But it was possible that Elly's had remained in a warehouse until it was installed.

"Something I believe is a more pressing concern across other industries - luckily not us - is the impact on the security alarm sector, where many systems still rely heavily on 2G and 3G networks for connectivity. Numerous alarm providers are facing significant upgrade programs, as these systems often stop working entirely when the network is retired."

Nick Gelling, product test writer at Consumer NZ, said the shutdown of the 3G network was announced in 2022 and businesses selling products relying on it should have known it was coming.

"If you purchased something in the last few years that will stop working after 3G is shut down, you can ask the retailer to put it right under the Consumer Guarantees Act as the goods are not fit for purpose or of acceptable quality. The retailer has to provide a repair, replacement or refund. The only exception to this would be if the retailer clearly warned you the product would stop working when 3G is shut down at the end of this year.

"If you don't have any luck with the retailer, you can lodge a claim at the Disputes Tribunal."

Paul Brislen, chief executive of the Telecommunications Forum, said there were a huge array of devices that communicated with the outside world and people needed to determine whether they used 3G and needed upgrading or not.

"Devices I've come across so far include some agri-tech equipment, lifts, solar arrays, health monitor alarms, fleet tracking systems and quite a lot else besides. This is the first I've heard of gates, though.

"The telco sector started talking to equipment makers about this sort of dependency several years ago and has been working with a number of technology providers to make sure they're supporting customers. For some it's as simple as swapping out the communications module or upgrading the device, but for others the modules are embedded in the product and customers will need a new model to continue operating."

He said his organisation had written to retailers reminding them to double-check to make sure products they were selling would continue to function after the shut-off.

The Commerce Commission said it had received nine inquiries relating to products' workability after the 3G shutdown.

"Under the Fair Trading Act, traders should not mislead consumers about the products and services that they sell. Traders should inform consumers of any upcoming changes when selling devices that may no longer work once the changes to 3G are implemented.

"If consumers are not informed of these changes at time of purchase, this could raise concerns under the Fair Trading Act. Consumers also have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA)."

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